Exception to the Rule
by smartkid37
Summary: Gibbs' Rules are rules to live by for the team. So, what happens when Gibbs gives some of his team members permission to bend a rule? Set 3 months after Endgame
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I know, I know, I already have 4 wip's. why am I putting out another one, right? I apologise, but this one jumped into my head this afternoon and it won't leave me alone. I promise to get back to my other ones this week._

_Set Three Months after "Endgame" __

* * *

_Abby's heart was beating fast. She'd made up her mind. It was time. Watching Tim try to recover from what that assassin, 'Amanda' had put him through, had been a wake up call for her. Although she hadn't had a front row seat, she'd heard about it from Ziva. The look in his eyes as Ziva described the hurt and betrayal she saw there, left Abby feeling like someone had sucker punched her, through Tim. He was, after all, her best friend and he had almost gotten killed at this woman's hands. He deserved so much better than he kept getting at each time he had attempted to move on from being in love with her.

It didn't take a genuis to see that he was still in love with Abby; at the very least, still cared a hell ova lot about her. Then again, Tim was lousy at hiding how he felt when it came to something he felt this deeply about. Where she'd been scared of committment and the "family" mindset before; now she was afraid that her soulmate would be lost not just to her, but to the world, if she didn't save him from the witches that kept trying to ruin him.

There was much more to Abby's decision. She loved him; had never stopped. It had never been about not loving Tim. No, it had simply been a case of her being scared fall _in _love with him. Building on her feelings meant making a committment that scared her even more. Abby knew that Tim was cautious now, super cautious. He hadn't been out on a date; at least that he'd talked about, since the whole nightmare had happened. Maybe he was still nursing enough love for her, that he would be open to giving her another chance.

"Abby, Tony said you wanted to talk to me?" Tim asked as he entered her lab.

"Oh, hey, Timmy. Yeah, you guys busy?" Abby's demeanor was subdued compared to her normally effervescent bounce.

"No, working on cold cases til we get a call out. Abby, you okay? You don't seem like your normal self." Tim asked in concern.

"I'm fine. So sweet of you to ask, Tim. I've just been doing some thinking." she answered with the quiet tone that left no doubt she was serious.

"Well, you've asked to talk to me, so I'm guessing that thinking has to do with me?" Tim gently pushed.

"Yeah. Tim. C'mere. Sit." Abby quietly encouraged, leading the way to her desk and gesturing for him to sit in her chair.

"Abby, you're scaring me. What is it?" Tim asked with concern.

"Tim, I've watched you become more and more miserable since you almost got killed by that woman. It's time you realize that you're not who she 's got you thinking you are! You are special! You deserve someone who knows that and loves you for who you are! You deserve to be loved! To be happy!"

"Abby. Thank you, really. But, I have work to do. If this is what you anted to talk to me about, it really needs to wait til after work." Tim replied gently with a soft smile playing on his mouth but still not reaching his eyes.

"Tim, do you still love me?" Abby asked in a rush of words.

"You know I do." Tim reminded her seriously.

"No, I mean are you still in love with me?" the Goth pushed.

"Abby." Tim let out in a rush of air that seemed to escape from his lungs in a hurry. Suddenly, the pain was back in full force in his eyes; pain that had been slowly but surely fading from those gorgous eyes of his.

"It's a simple question, Tim!" Abby declared with a touch of impatience.

"No, it's not, Abby. I have to get back to work. Can we talk about this later, please?" Tim answered as quietly as he could while his heart was trying to go back to beating normally. Politely, he waited for an answer before he moved to leave.

"Ok, Tim. Later. Will you at least promise me you'll think about it? About giving me another chance?" Abby asked plaintively.

"Yeah. I'll think about it. I promise." Tim vowed as he entered the elevator and went back to his desk.

"What did Abby want?" Gibbs demanded when Tim reached the squad room.

"It was personal, Boss. I'm sorry. I should have made her wait til after work. I got back here as soon as I could." Tim offered, knowing it wasn't gonna fly anyway.

"Get back to work." Gibbs let it go. He knew what Abby could be like when she got on a tangent. McGee had only been gone for a short time, so no harm, no foul.

Tony and Ziva remained remarkably quiet and even kept their eyes on their own work. Both of them had taken great effort to cut Tim some serious slack in the last few months. While Tony still picked on Tim, it didn't have the cutting hard edge to it that it had before.

In the three months since Tim had almost been killed, it had been heartbreaking to see the light go out of the young man's eyes. His performance on the job had still been exemplary. It was who he was becoming on the inside that had Gibbs keeping an inconspicious eye on him. Watching to to make sure he was eating decently during the day and not coming in looking like he hadn't slept the night before. The young man wouldn't talk about any of it and no one pushed him.

Quitting time that night and the squad room was once again peaceful. Gibbs relished this time of the day, when he could sit back and think straight uninterrupted with a good cup of java. His usual routine of going after a fresh cup while the team was leaving , offered even more of a chance to clear his head. The last thing he expected when he came back, was to see McGee still sitting at his desk, lost in thought.

"McGee?" Gibbs asked.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, Boss." Tim offered as he pulled himself up out of his chair, preparing to leave.

"McGee, sit." Gibbs directed, pointing to Tim's chair. As his agent settled back down in his chair, the question was asked. "Something you wanna tell me?"

"I..." Tim couldn't even finish. He didn't know how to explain it without sounding stupid or getting Gibbs' pissed at him about it.

"Spit it out, Tim." Gibbs encouraged.

"It's Abby." Tim managed to get out.

"This about what Abby wanted to talk to you about earlier?" Gibbs asked knowingly.

"Yeah. But the only reason it's work related is because of your rule." Tim admitted.

"Which one?" Gibbs asked.

"12." Tim said quietly.

"You gonna let me in, here?" Gibbs pushed with a hint of impatience.

"She asked me if I would think about dating her again. Asked me if I was still in love with her." Tim said with regret.

"And your answer?" Gibbs asked with as steady a voice as he could manage, despite his surprise.

"How I feel about it doesn't really matter, does it, Boss?" Tim answered. "Rule 12, remember?"

"That the only reason?" Gibbs asked pointedly.

"No. But, even if it was, it's the deal breaker. I won't jeapordise my job." Tim vowed.

"McGee. My rules aren't here to cost any of you your jobs. They're here to keep you safe, even from yourselves, if need be." Gibbs reminded him.

"I know, Boss." Tim said with his tone still quiet.

"McGee, look. Just because I don't say anything, doesn't mean I don't know what's going on. That I don't understand." Gibbs said surprisingly.

"Yeah, I know, Boss." Tim admitted. "We all know there isn't much that gets by you." The tone was respectfull and a simple statement of fact. Gibbs had to smile

"My point, McGee, is I know the last four months have been hard for you." the boss told him. "I'm proud of the way you've handled it, not letting it affect you on the job."

"Thanks, Boss." Tim said once he'd gotten his breath back.

"Doesn't mean you should let it affect you the way you have been off the clock." Gibbs quietly admonished him.

Tim's questioning look left little doubt he didn't know what Gibbs was talking about. Gibbs changed the subject a little.

"Bottom line, McGee, is if the time comes that you think you're ready to give Abby another chance, and you can promise me you'll be able to keep it out of the office, I have no problem with it." Gibbs said as calmly as if he'd been discussing the weather.

"Boss?" Tim asked in shock.

Frankly, seeing something akin to happiness on McGee's face for the first time in over four months, was long overdue and a relief for the boss. Yeah, taking the time to talk to him tonight had definately been worth it.

"You heard me, McGee. Humor me, you think you'll give her another chance?" the boss asked.

"Yeah." Tim said with trepeditation.

"You don't seem too happy about it." Gibbs declared

"Boss, I..."

Clamping a supportive hand on the suddenly silent young man's shoulder, Gibbs smiled encouragingly at him and turned to head toward his own desk. "Relax, McGee. Go home, think things through. Folllow your gut."

Tim's smile lit his entire face, even his eyes.  
"Thanks, Boss!"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: A very special "Thank You" goes out to _**chelsea1234 **_for her help and advice with this chapter! You Rock!  


* * *

That night, after he left work, Tim went home and did as Gibbs had suggested. Going much deeper than simply thinking things through, Tim actually went digging, serious soul searching even. Did he really want to date Abby again? Would it be possible for them to be happy together? His biggest concern was whether or not Abby even realized things she said and did really affected people around her.

Thinking back over the last six years, Tim couldn't help but recall times where Abby had treated him like he wasn't even there. There had been numerous times when he only seemed to register on her radar when she wanted something from him or was jealous of a woman they'd brought in on the case from an outside agency or even a witness or victim. He remembered the times she'd emotionally tripped him up to get her way when he'd tried to remind her of the rules she was asking him to break. When she'd asked him to do things she knew she shouldn't have. She knew if she couldn't go to Gibbs with her request than she shouldn't be going to anyone else either. A good example of that had been when she had verbally backed him into a corner, in front of her friend for the satellite time at Christmas for her friend's nephew. That alone could have could have gotten him fired. Then again, he had swallowed the bait, made the decision, and then acted on it. The final culpability in that had been in his own hands. Still, the fact remained; she had once again taken advantage of his unfailing willingness to make her happy.

Abby knew he was putty in her hands, would never be rude or mean to her; hated to say no to her, and she had a habit of taking advantage of that, no matter the cost. Tim knew he carried his fate in a lot of that. After all, he was an adult, too and had made his own choices. However, the term 'mitigating circumstances' was created to explain a lot in life that was otherwise unexplainable. Abby, as everyone on the team knew, was Tim's 'mitigating circumstance' and in that he was emotionally glued. But, he loved her, so he gave her what she wanted, took the heat, and ridden out the aftershocks. And he had forgiven her.

There were times, however, that the way she treated Tim had been downright cruel and uncalled for. Abby turning on him in favor of Jethro, the day the German shepherd had attacked him, had cut deeply. Her ruining his jacket and calling him "bad McGee: the way she had, had twisted the knife. He'd done what he'd had no choice but to do, bury it and go on. It wasn't like he could do anything different. It was him against the masses, so to speak. So, he'd bit his tongue, buried the feelings, and carried on. Eventually, the pain had dissipated and he had been able to forgive her, making room in his heart once more, for the love he always carried for her. He loved her. And when you felt love this deeply, you can tolerate and put up with almost anything. It wasn't in his nature to not forgive, especially Abby.

But, Tim was a different person now, than he had been when he'd first fell in love with her; different than he was even a few months ago, even. Almost getting killed had changed him in lots of ways, some that weren't easy to see unless you were looking deep inside. Skittish, unsure, burnt and no longer willing to lay down and play dead for anyone, Tim was definitely scarred from the events of the last attempt at falling in love and he wasn't quiet so ready to fall again.

If he and Abby stood a chance of making a go of a relationship, none of this could be in the way. The new him didn't need or want any emotional baggage in a relationship, especially in a relationship with someone who had helped create the baggage to begin with. Was there a way to put this all away once and for all? That would be the easy part, actually. Even so, it would be hard to do unless they talked things out, cleared the air completely.

There was no forgetting Abby was Gibbs' favorite, either. He had too many battles scars to forget that. All the times he'd gotten his ass handed to him on a platter because she'd done things her way, leaving him holding the bag, left a bitter taste in his mouth even now. _What the hell's wrong with me, anyway_?

With all these things once again flooding his brain, he had to stop and wonder if he'd ever actually forgiven her at all, or if he'd simply convinced himself that he had and learned to accept being treated like that and learning to live with it, as if he didn't deserve any better? One thing was for sure, he was no where near ready to make a decision.

He hadn't lied to Gibbs tonight; not intentionally, anyway. There was a part of him that _did_ want to date Abby again. But, if there was the slightest chance that he was setting himself up for _anything_ like what he'd already been through, either with her or any of the other women he'd attempted to form a relationship with, then he was much better off and a damn sight safer alone. And to be honest, Gibbs hadn't given him much chance to elaborate on his answer, to clue him in to the battle he'd have to wage within himself to actually come to o decision.

He may have Gibbs' okay, but he had miles to go before he was ready to even open the door to this journey yet. Abby would need to be given a chance to let him in on where she stood with everything past and present. There would be no room for secrets, unsolved tensions or unexpressed emotions in the way. Tim would have to start out with some help, too. There had been too many times his own judgment had screwed him over, cost him dearly, hell, had almost gotten him killed. It was no secret that he had blind spots where Abby was concerned, or at least, he'd had blind spots. No, this time, he wouldn't go on his judgment alone. He'd need the advice of someone who could help charter the waters all the way around. It would have to be someone who could help him handle Gibbs' in this, too.

After all, with Abby being Gibbs' favorite, Tim would always be worried about how the relationship would fare with him as the third party always scrutinizing him and looking over his shoulder. Thinking about that part of the situation brought only one possible confidant to mind. Tim needed to talk to Ducky.

But, first, he needed to let Abby know he was doing as she'd asked. He was thinking about things. He would leave it at that, though. There was no reason to give her false hope. And since he didn't want to start a conversation he couldn't finish, he opted to email her instead of calling her. Logging on to his computer, he typed her out a quick email message.

_Abby:_

_Just wanted to let you know that I am doing what I promised you I would do.  
I'll talk to you about it as soon as I figure some things out. - But not at work!  
Going to bed now. You need to get some sleep, too._

_Tim._

_***_

Getting a good night sleep seemed to add some bounce to Tim's step the next morning. Actually, it seemed to help get his entire day off to a good start. He managed to make it into the office a full hour early. Stowing his gear, he headed down to find Ducky. The M.E. might not be in yet, but it was worth a shot. If nothing else, he could leave him a note. No, wait, there was no reason to risk Jimmy coming across the situation and he might if he found Tim's note, better just call Ducky. Better yet, Tim decided to stick with email to avoid accidentally getting Jimmy involved or clued in at all. Logging on to his work station, he quickly typed up an email to the M.E.

_Ducky._

_If you don't have plans for lunch today, can I interest you in going to lunch with me?_  
_I need to talk to you about something important, and confidential._  
_If you would rather not get involved, please don't be afraid to tell me no._

_Thanks._  
_Tim._

After sending the email, Tim logged back off and went for coffee. When he got back to his desk, it was still thirty minutes before the official start of the day. Gibbs still wasn't in which actually made things easier. Enjoying the peace and quiet, Tim logged back into his computer and dug into a cold case file. He needed something to occupy his time and the justification for being already at work. All too soon, Gibbs was strolling in, actually stopping in surprise at Tim's desk.

"McGee?" The boss asked quietly.

"Hey, Boss." Tim greeted as calmly as he could. as he stopped working and looked up at his boss.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Thanks.." Tim answered. He would do as Gibbs had instructed and keep all mention of dating Abby away from work. Even though he hadn't yet decided he would or could date her again, Tim wasn't about to get this off to the wrong start. Giving Gibbs a small smile, Tim waited to see what Gibbs would do next.

Gibbs silently nodded and headed to his own desk. He was a little startled that Tim didn't appear to be as happy as he had when he'd left here the night before. Had something happened? Oh, well, if the young man wasn't gonna talk to him, there wasn't anything he could do about it. Changing mental gears, Gibbs got busy with things he needed to take care of and the day got going.

It wasn't long before Tim got his answer from Ducky, in the form of an email.

_"Timothy:_

_I would be happy to help  
looking forward to lunch with you.  
Why don't we meet at the Cafe on the corner by the park at 12?_

_Ducky._

Tim tired not to smile, as he read Ducky's response, sent him a thank you message in response and put it all out of his mind, determined to concentrate on work. The day continued slowly, but surely and with no new case coming in, cold cases were the name of the game for now. Tim was actually glad there was no new case. He was tired of people killing and hurting each other. It was nice to find a day where that hadn't happened or at least hadn't been reported or discovered.

Halfway through the morning, while Tim was knee deep in case work, he got an email from Abby.

_Timmy:_

_Are you okay? You haven't been down to see me yet today. You always come to see me!"  
Abby_

Tim knew Abby's propensity for thinking the worst if someone she cared about didn't talk to her on a normal day, would get out of control real fast if he didn't nip it in the bud, so he sent her a reply that would hopefully do that without hurting her feelings.

_Abby:_

_I didn't mean to let you think anything was wrong. Busy with work  
Tim.  
_

Thankfully, it must have done the trick because she didn't send any more and before he knew it, lunch time had rolled around. Tony and Ziva headed out, with the typical "Can we get you anything?" being tossed in Tim's direction. At Tim's refusal, Tony's eyes lit up and his eyebrows went through his hairline. _Great, already, the guy's radar was going off. _Tim thought. Before they even got to the elevator, Ziva's phone rang. With an apology and a change of direction, Ziva was begging off her plans with Tony, to head off in a new direction of her own for lunch.

Gibbs sat watching with silent amusement mixed with concern. Tim still looked like a troubled soul even though he'd looked like a happy camper last night when Gibbs had given him permission to break Rule #12. Why the sudden turn around? But, at the same time, watching Tony's reaction to Tim's lunch refusal as well as Ziva's sudden change in her own lunch plans added a spark to the day. Gibbs had a pretty good idea who had just called Ziva for a last minute lunch meeting. The fact that everyone's favorite lab rat hadn't been up in the squad room all moring said a lot, too.

Yes, siree, Things had just gotten very interesting around here.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thank you so much for your patience!_

_**bomb7979** - A warning - this chapter, as well as the next one or two, are full of conversation. This story simply can't be done without them._

_For the rest of you - thank you for your continued support._

* * *

As Tim met up with Ducky, he felt better. He had no regrets in asking for the M.E.'s help.

"Hello, Timothy." Ducky greeted him as he joined the older man at the booth he'd gotten for them.

"Hey, Ducky. Thanks so much for agreeing to this." Tim offered with a smile.

"Nonsense, I'm honored you would ask me to help. I do hope it is something I will be able to help you with."

"I have no doubt that you're the perfect person to ask, Ducky."

"I will admit you have peaked my curiosity. Timothy. In all the years you've worked here, you have yet to seek me out for advice in such a manner." Ducky said with a twinkle in his eye.

"I'm sorry about the secrecy, but this is something I really don't want or need the others finding out about, especially Tony." Tim said.

"Not even Jethro?" Ducky asked in surprise.

"Excluding Gibbs. I'm not keeping secrets from Gibbs. Please don't think that I am. But, at the same time, Ducky, if you can avoid it, I would rather you not repeat our conversation back to him. I mean, he's part of what I need to ask your advice about. Oh, jeez. Ok. Give me a minute, please." Tim rambled before he realized he was rambling and stopped himself.

"Goodness, Timothy. Calm yourself. There's no rush, is there?" Ducky asked.

"Ducky, how much do you know of what happened between Abby and I before I joined the team? Up through the first two months of when Gibbs had me transferred?" Tim jumped in where he thought it would best answer some questions.

"Timothy, you must remember that we are all aware that the two of you were dating before you joined Jethro's team. It is also public knowledge that your dating relationship was ended because of Jethro's Rule #12." Ducky told him.

"Is that all that you know about it?" Tim asked cryptically?

"Yes, Timothy. Your relationship is not something that Abby was very forthcoming about. I assumed it was because you both worked for NCIS and she had no desire to give anyone within the agency fuel for fodder." was the M.E.'s response.

"Rule #12 wasn't the reason we ended our 'relationship', Ducky. Abby was." Tim said in pained honesty.

"Oh?" Ducky responded in surprise.

"She wasn't ready to get serious and I was." Tim explained.

"That must have hurt. Tell me, is that why you are so overprotective of her even now?" Ducky asked knowingly.

"I can't help it, Ducky. I've never stopped loving her, no matter how much she hurts me." Tim said quietly.

"Timothy?" Ducky pushed gently. This was territory the young man had never ventured into with the M.E. before and Ducky had no intention of stopping Tim from letting out whatever he needed to express.

"Ducky, she's always known that her ending things with me the way she did broke my heart." Tim tried to explain himself.

"Timothy, why don't you tell me what happened?" the older man encouraged.

"She was driving us home from the movies. As calmly as if we were talking about the weather, she said. "I'm ending this." The younger man's feelings on the subject were still palpable.

"What did you say to her then?"

"I asked her if she was serious. She told me she was ending it because I was too serious and she wasn't anywhere ready to even think about getting serious. Then she dropped me off at my door. We didn't speak to each other again for three weeks unless it was at work and about work." Tim's shocking declaration shocked Ducky.

"Yet, you've continued to carry the torch for her all this time." Ducky quietly expressed his understanding.

"Not something I can help, Ducky. Even when she's thrown every date and new boyfriend in front of my face like she enjoyed opening the wound all over again, I couldn't shake how I feel about her. I've tried to date other women. Every last one of them has turned out to be a psycho, a criminal, out for vengeance, or just out to use me because they figured out I'm a successful writer."

"Which brings us to the real reason behind your request for my help, I take it?" Ducky gently tried to bring the conversation back around now that he had background information.

"Not quite yet." Tim said apologetically. "You remember when Jethro attacked me?"

"Of course, young man! That was a most dreadful day for you."

"More than you know, Ducky. More than you know." Tim supplied. "Gibbs told me to 'take the evidence back to Abby' So, not only did I get squat when it came to whether Gibbs was even worried if I was okay or not. I mean obviously he wasnt' cause he told me to drive back to the Agency, right? But, when I got the dog back to Abby, she turns on me; calls me "bad McGee" like I was the criminal. She ruined my expensive jacket because she could. Out at the other dog's burial site, well you were there; you heard how disrespectful she was to me. On top of bad she treated me through that whole case; she basically bullied me into taking Jethro because she couldn't. It was like she didn't care one bit how she'd treated me or that I'd gotten hurt, or how I felt about it. She acted like none of what she'd said or done, had even happened! It's like she forgets or doesn't care that I have feelings, too.

"Have you ever attempted to talk to her about it, Timothy?" Ducky asked calmly, trying to calm the young man down.

"No. All I would get for my trouble would be some condescending remark about needing to get over it. Look at what happened when that lunatic ex-boyfriend of hers was after her and I was supposed to be protecting her at my apartment." Tim supplied.

"Yes, that didn't go very well did it?" Ducky sympathized.

"Ducky, I told her not to open the door! The only reason I went out to the car in the first place was because she wouldn't stop pitching a fit over not having her toothbrush that night! And when push came to shove, who got the rap? Me! Gibbs was so pissed at me; I didn't think I had a job anymore. I know I lost Gibbs' respect over that! Do you have any idea how that made me feel? How long it took me to get his respect in the first place? Ducky, he's never trusted me or respected me the same since!"

"Timothy, why have you carried all this around with you for so long? Have you not tried to talk these things out with someone?" Ducky asked in concern.

"Like a shrink? No, thanks, Ducky. Tried that once, it didn't work out so well. Besides, how is talking to a stranger about any of it gonna help me deal with it when it's work that's the problem?" Tim asked with more than a trace of bitterness.

"Timothy. Although you've obviously got a lot that you still feel angry about, I fail to see why you require my assistance." Ducky reluctantly admitted.

"Ducky, I quit trying to date for a long time after the last psycho stole my credit card and thought it was funny to charge it up without me knowing about it until it was done. She figured paying me back was enough. That was the one time Abby was actually helpful about something personal. She convinced me to have the woman arrested. It was a long time before I tried to date again, no matter how many time Tony threw it in my face that I never had a girlfriend or a date."

"Understandable, young man." Ducky responded.

Before anything else could be said, Ducky's phone rang. "Doctor Mallard." Ducky said as he answered his phone.

"Duck, where are you?" Gibbs asked.

"I am currently at lunch, Jethro. Do you suddenly require my services?" Ducky inquired.

"No, just wondering if you've seen McGee. No one's seen him since he left for lunch over an hour ago." Gibbs said with concern.

"He's with me. Jethro." the M.E. reassured the boss.

"Good. No hurry. Tell him to just make sure he comes back with you. Next time, he'll answer to me for being late!" Gibbs warned.

"Understandable. I'm sure he didn't mean to be gone so long." Ducky reasoned.

"I know, Duck. That's why I'm letting it slide this time. See you when you get back. He does need to get back to work sometime today." Gibbs said with just a touch of sarcasm.

Truth be told, Gibbs was startled that McGee was having lunch with Ducky. The fact that they'd been gone over the normal lunch hour meant only one thing; Tim had needed to talk to Ducky. That thought sent a fissure of unease down Gibbs' spine. He hoped everything was all right with his agent. The young man had definately been extremely quiet since he'd talked to Abby yesterday. Come to think of it, even after he'd talked to Gibbs last night, he still seemed too quiet, moreso today than before he'd talked to Gibbs. Something was 'hinky' with McGee. Gibbs hoped he could get to the bottom of it and help the guy out of what ever the problem was.

Ending the call, the boss got back to work with a silencing glare to his Senior Field Agent currently waiting for a scoop on McGee. At least Ziva had had the presence of mind to call and request her extra lunch time. Come to think of it, Abby had done the same thing.

Ducky put his phone away silently as he waited for Timothy to continue

"Thanks, Ducky. I appreciate you curbing his anger. I'm sure he'll unleash it on me when I get back." Tim said with dread.

"Nonsense, Timothy. He was concerned. He knows you aren't usually late coming back from lunch and we both remember what happened the last time one of his agents was late from lunch without a phone call to advise him that all was well." Ducky said sadly.

"Oh, yeah. That was the day, Ari kidnapped Kate." Tim sad with his own touch of sadness.

"Timothy, you must finish explaining what it is you need me to understand." Ducky reminded him.

"Ducky, the next time I tried to date it was an online thing I met 'her' through a chat room, spent weeks getting to know 'her' and finally arranged to meet face to face."

"What happened?" Ducky asked. He'd not been told about this situation. This was the first he'd heard about it. Judging from Timothy's tone, it had not ended any better than his other attempts at dating.

"Turned out it wasn't a woman." Tim said with disgust.

"Oh? Did you discover who it was?" the older man asked.

"Ziva let me in on it. It was Tony. He played me because he thought it was hilarious." Tim's pain and sense of betrayal over that was obvious.

"Oh, my!" Ducky exclaimed before he could stop himself.

"Ducky, it took me months before I tried it again. Next up? 'Amanda' and we all know how that turned out." Tim said with pain radiating from his voice.

"Timothy, it's been three months since that horrendous day. You've done remarkably well considering everything that happened. What seems to be the trouble now?" Ducky asked in confusion.

"Abby. She asked me yesterday if I was still in love with her. Asked me if I would consider giving her a second chance." Tim said sadly.

"Oh, my! What did you tell her?" Ducky asked.

"That I'd have to think about it."

"Where does Jethro fit into this? What about his Rule #12" Ducky asked in surprise.

"He and I discussed it last night before I went home for the night." Tim said with a small smile.

"And, what did he say?" Ducky inquired.

"He told me he was proud of me. Do you know I can count the number of times he's said that to me in the last six years, on one hand, Ducky? Said he was proud of how I kept my head on straight and kept doing my job well even after the 'Amanda' fiasco. Also told me that if I wanted to date Abby again, he'd be okay with, so long as we kept it out of the office. He told me to go home, think things through and trust my gut." Tim said.

Ducky sat in shocked silence.

"Trouble is, Ducky. That I jumped the gun when I answered Gibbs' question about it. When he asked me if I thought I wanted to date her again, I immediately told him yes. But, when I tried to add an explanation of what I'd have to think about first, he interrupted me and I never got the chance to fully explain myself. Now, the more I think about it, the more I can't bring myself to date her and he's gonna think I lied to him, about Abby no less." Tim said with fear.

"Nonsense, Timothy! You expect the worst from Jethro. You obviously underestimate his compassion for his agents and his insight." Ducky quietly admonished him.

"Compassion he's never been very quick to show me, Besides, Ducky, even if I wanted to date Abby again, the simple fact of the matter is, I can't." Tim reasoned.

"Why ever not?" the M.E. asked in surprise.

"Because she's Gibbs' favorite. I have too much self-preservation to land on his bad side where she's concerned ever again." Tim explained with pain in his tone.

"Ah. Yes. I can certainly understand your concern. What is it you need from me?" Ducky asked.

"Just your perspective. Am I crazy to even consider dating her again? Should I just go to Gibbs and tell him I lied but didn't mean to? Do I just let Abby go now, not let her sit around hoping I'll say yes, when it's pretty much a given that I can't date her?"

"Timothy, you must calm yourself! It's quite obvious you've driven yourself to distraction about all of this. I advise you to take a few more days at least, to think things through more. I also suggest you rescind your request that I not discuss this with Jethro. Seems to me that your fear of his favoritism toward Abby will greatly affect any decision you make in some way."

"Yeah. You're right, Ducky. Maybe it would actually help if Gibbs understood at least some of where I'm coming from." Tim conceded.

"It certainly would, dear fellow. Now, come, we must return to work before Jethro sends the posse after us, hmm?" Ducky said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Thank you so much, Ducky." Tim said with a much lighter aire. It was obvious he felt much better having someone to talk to about this.

"You are more than welcome, Timothy. I am honored that you thought to seek my help in this matter. I will do what I can to help. You must continue to calmly think things through and not get weighed down with what might happen." Ducky advised.

"You're right. I will. Thank you, again. Can I ride back with you?" Tim asked.

"Certainly." Ducky answered. As they walked silently back to Ducky's car, the M.E. pulled out his cell phone and called Jethro.

"Jethro, we're on our way back now."

"Okay, Duck. Thanks. Hey, Duck?"

"Jethro?"

"Everything all right? With you? With McGee?" Gibbs asked in unusual concern.

"Yes, Jethro, everything's fine. See you shortly." Ducky answered in surprise as he hung up and slipped his phone back into his pocket. The ride back to the office was a peacefully quiet one, both men lost in his own thoughts. After all, both had a lot to think about.

As Tim slipped back behind his desk a mere ten minutes later, he slid his eyes to Gibbs' thankfully empty desk. Surprisingly enough, Ziva's desk was empty, too. Not wanting to give the man another reason to be pissed at him, Tim quickly jumped back into the cold case he'd been working on before lunch. It wasn't long before Tim's total attention was focused back in his work.

Tony watched with less joy at Probie's lateness and more concern than one would expect from the Senior Field Agent, but then again, Tony had heard Gibbs' concern when the boss had asked the M.E. if he and Tim were okay. To hear the boss speak with concern brought out Tony's concern. Tim had been acting different these last two days. Sure, these last four months had been really tough on the kid, but these last two days, he'd been exceptionally quiet. The same degree of quiet he'd exhibited in the first few days after almost getting killed by that witch. Yeah, the more Tony thought about it, the more concerned he was getting about their Probie, himself.

Gibbs watched Tim come back into the squad room from his vantage point just out of sight. The young man looked calmer and actually less stressed out than he had looked when he'd left for lunch. It was a thankfully slow day, so his extended lunch wasn't a problem, this time. The glaringly obvious fact that he had needed to talk to Ducky was his saving grace, as far as Gibbs was concerned. There was no way the boss was gonna give him grief about it. Having deliberately made himself absent for Tim's return, Gibbs now decided to make things even easier for his younger agent. Since Tim had wasted no time in getting back into his work, Gibbs rewarded him by leaving him alone, and going in search of Ducky.

The M.E. would give him the answers he needed about what was going on with McGee, of that Gibbs was sure.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Thank you for your patience._  
_Any OOC is strictly accidental._

* * *

Abby and Ziva walked back into NCIS, each lost in thought as they went their separate ways. Ziva returned to the now quiet squad room, looking at her teammates in silent serious contemplation; both of them remained so engrossed in their work, they failed to so much as twitch at her arrival. At the same time, Abby headed downstairs. Surprisingly enough, both Abby and Ziva's heads were full of the conversation they'd had with each other over lunch.

_**Flashback**_

_"Thanks so much for agreeing to have lunch with me at the last minute, Ziva." Abby offered as the two of them sat down in the small diner._

_"I am happy to be able to join you, Abby. Is there something wrong?" Ziva asked with concern._

_"Yes and no." Abby answered confusingly._

_"Abby, please, make sense." Ziva pleaded._

_"Remember when we talked about what 'Amanda' did to Timmy?" Abby began._

_"Yes. You asked me to tell you how he handled it and I told you." Ziva supplied._

_"Right." The lab rat agreed. "Well, after remembering what you told me and then seeing how he's been since then…" Abby stopped as she tried to put her words together the best way possible._

_"What do you mean by 'how he has been since then?" Ziva inquired. "You have not been around him very often in the last few months, Abby. Where are you getting your information from?"_

_"Tony told me. I ask him every couple of days how McGee's doing." Abby admitted. "Besides, the fact that Timmy seems to have been avoiding me since that day says there's something really wrong, too."_

_"Abby, the first time McGee tried to ask us to check on you because you were not acting yourself; you got very angry and called it gossip. As I recall, you blew up at Tony and got angry with McGee for it. How is what you have done any different?" Ziva asked, clearly confused._

_"I know, Ziva, and I was way off base when I did that. I know they were only trying to help and I shouldn't have reacted the way I did." Abby admitted._

_"Have you ever told them that?" Ziva wondered. "Did you ever off either of them an apology?"_

_"No, but I know both of them and I know they've forgiven me for it long ago." The Goth assured her friend._

_"Okay. So, what did Tony tell you about McGee that brings us here?" Ziva asked._

_"Ziva! I love having lunch with you! But, to answer your question, McGee's been withdrawn, quieter than usual, not happy. And according to Tony, it seems to be getting worse every day." Abby said with concern._

_"Abby, I am sure that McGee is doing the best that he can. He is, after all, suffering from a broken heart, yes?" the Israeli woman asked._

_"I know, Ziva! That's my point. I think it's time I rescued him from it." Abby explained._

_"Are you serious? Abby, I do not think McGee is interested in trying to break one of Gibbs' rules." Ziva reminded her._

_"Ziva, I know we can talk to Gibbs if it comes down to that, but we could keep it private and not let it affect our jobs. He wouldn't even know!"_

_"You do not seriously believe that McGee would agree to this?" Ziva was shocked at Abby's idea._

_"He said he would think about it." Came the shocking answer._

_"You talked to him about it? About breaking Rule #12? And McGee agreed?" Ziva asked in complete disbelief. _

_"No exactly. I asked him to consider dating me again." Abby admitted._

_"Out of the blue? You just asked him straight out if he wanted to be 'rescued' by you?" Ziva asked as her curiosity got the better of her._

_"No, I led up to it by reminding him that I knew he was unhappy and that I wanted him to remember his own good qualities. I told him he deserved someone who appreciates him for who he is. And I do .I didn't mention the word 'rescue'.""_

_"Abby. Did you not tell me that you broke off your relationship with McGee because you were not prepared to get serious and he was?" came the expected question._

_"Well, yeah. But that was years ago, Ziva." Abby defended herself._

_"What did McGee say in response to your request?" Ziva changed the subject a little. It was obvious Abby hadn't put a lot of thought into the background she was asking McGee to bounce back from._

_"He said he'd think about and get back to me, but he wouldn't discuss it with me at work. So, will you help me?" Abby answered with a question of her own._

_"What is it you want me to do?" Ziva wanted to know._

_"Figure out why he hasn't answered me yet. Tell me what else I should say to him to get him to go for it. What could possibly be keeping him from answering me already? Do you think I'm expecting too much?" Abby's questions flew fast and furious through the air._

_"Abby. Do you want me to be completely honest with you?" Ziva needed to know._

_"Of course!" Abby declared._

_"I believe that you have missed something very important about McGee. You have failed to realize that he has changed. He is different from the McGee of several years ago. In fact, he is quite different now than he was even a few months ago. His heart has been broken several times. One does not always recover quickly from something like that." Ziva reminded the young woman. "As you have already pointed out, it is quite obvious he is definitely not bouncing back this time."_

_"I know, Ziva. But, I also know he has always loved me. I love him. He's McGee." Abby summed up her belief. "I have to help him."_

_"Are you certain he wants your help? And you are sure that that the love he has carried for you is enough? I am not so sure." Ziva cautioned. "If it were, Abby, would he not have come to you for this help already?" _

_"He needs my help whether he knows it or not. Besides, the fact that he still loves me has to mean something!" Abby declared as they headed back to work_.

_"Abby, I will be here for you and listen when you need to talk. But, I will not get involved with this. I respect McGee too much to interfere in his personal life." Ziva said._

_"Okay, Ziva. I understand. It'll be great having you to talk to about it!" Abby responded with a smile and a hug for the other woman._

**End Flashback**

Not willing or ready to focus on her own work, Abby instead, could only think about finding a voice of reason that was bound to be a different angle on things than what Ziva's had been. While there was nothing wrong with Ziva's take on the situation, Abby felt the need for more input, more specifically, a more positive opinion than Ziva had. Unable to think about work just yet, Abby concentrated on figuring out whom that voice of reason needed to come from and how to go about getting what she needed. Suddenly, the light came on in her head and she quickly set out to do what needed to be done to find that voice of reason,

******************

"Jethro, surely you are not here looking for answers for a case; which means you are here for answers about Timothy. Tell me, what is it that seems to be of concern?" Ducky asked when Gibbs walked through the door.

Seeing the stack of files and paperwork on Ducky's desk, Gibbs had to wonder if he'd come at a bad time. But, his need for answers outweighed the willingness to come back when Ducky wasn't busy.

"Duck!" Gibbs almost growled in frustration. He hated it when Ducky was deliberately difficult with him. Sitting down in the chair beside the M.E.'s desk, Gibbs blew out a sigh of frustration

"Jethro, I do not know what it is you wish for me to say! Surely, you have a reason for such obvious concern; perhaps if you share that reason with me, I could be of assistance to you." Ducky persisted as he turned his own chair to face the younger man.

"Something bothering McGee that you need to share with me, Ducky?" Gibbs asked a little more calmly.

"As a matter of fact, there is, Jethro." Ducky admitted.

"Duck, he tell you about our conversation last night? About Abby asking him to date her again?" Gibbs went straight to the point.

"Yes, Timothy did reveal that to me. I must say, Jethro I am quite surprised that you gave those two permission to break your precious Rule #12." Ducky admitted equally calmly.

"He's been through hell, Duck. If this is what he really wants, I can't sanction standing in his way. I know I can trust him to not let it interfere with his job." Gibbs quietly explained somehow managed to remain calmly sitting still. "They've always had a special relationship. I just thought it would be nice for him if they could actually build on it. Damn sight safer than what he's been through."

"You seem sure of that. So then, what seems to be the trouble?" Ducky asked again.

"Duck, last night he smiled for the first time in months. I thought he was gonna be able to take this and finally come back from all the crap he's been thrown. But, to look at him now, it's almost as if he's more bothered by the help I tried to give him than before he and I talked. Hell, he looked happier before Abby even talked to him; and he damn sure wasn't happy then!" Gibbs admitted.

"Rest assured he is more troubled by Abby's suggestion than he is by your talk with him. But, you are absolutely right, he is troubled just the same."

"Why? What's going on with him, Duck?" Gibbs asked with even more concern than before.

"Jethro, I would have hoped by now that you realize that your favoritism of Abby has adversely affected the team, most especially Timothy on more than one occasion. Timothy feels he cannot date Abigail because she is your favorite. He has experienced your wrath on her behalf before, and is quite unwilling to put himself through that again." Ducky explained in brutal honesty. "Surely, you can understand that."

Gibbs stared at the M.E. in shock. What was Ducky talking about? As far as he remembered, Gibbs had always tried to be fair.

"Jethro, must I remind of you of the times that to this day, still twist like a painful knife in that young man's heart? You do forget how much he strives to be everything you expect of him and more. When he fails, especially because of someone else, it is very difficult for him to deal with." Ducky supplied.

"Duck, he's been here for more than 4 years. I'm afraid you're gonna have to refresh my memory a little, be a little more specific." Gibbs admitted.

"Very well, Jethro. When Michael Mawher was determined to get his hands on Abby, yes, that is a prime example. I'm sure you remember what happened." Ducky answered.

"Yeah, Duck. McGee fell down on the job and Abby was in real trouble while he was out in the car looking for a stupid toothbrush!" Gibbs bit out with a slice of remembered anger.

"Jethro, did you stop to ask Abigail _why_ she ignored Timothy's instruction not to open the door for anyone? Abigail needled him terribly about not having her own toothbrush until he did what she wanted and went to get hers where she left it in the car. And yet you blamed him alone."

"He still left her alone, Ducky." Gibbs reminded him.

"Jethro, it was because Abigail, in all of her experience as your favorite, is quite unused to being denied what she wants from those on whom she can pull rank, so to speak, in the form of threatening to come to you with anything that displeases her about them, mainly Timothy and Anthony."

"Ducky..." Gibbs attempted to respond, but Ducky was on a tangent.

"As I just explained to you, she badgered him terribly with her demand for her own toothbrush. And, I might add, with implicit instructions not to open the door. Jethro, you tell her all the time that she is one of the smartest people you know. Yet, that night she made a very unwise decision; several, as a matter of fact. Yet, you steadfastly only hold Timothy responsible for what transpired that evening. That is the very reason Timothy feels the way he does." Ducky declared with feeling.

Gibbs looked at him in shocked silence for a long minute as the anger rose up in him and he let it out in the form of a question. "Are you saying he told you he doesn't want to date her? Why would he lie to me about it?"

"He did not intentionally lie to you, Jethro. There is a part of him that _does_ wish to build that kind of relationship with Abigail. That is the part of him that found relief and happiness in your willingness to let him break your rule. But more of his brain is reminding him of all the painful experiences he's been through because of her actions or words through the years. He attempted to explain this to you in the course of your conversation, but when you interrupted him to encourage him to go home and think things through; he no longer had the opening available to discuss it with you." Ducky finished explaining.

"Duck, they dated before he officially joined the team. He's always looked for her, treated her like he still loves her. What the hell could be the problem?" Gibbs was confused. "What painful experiences?"

"Outside of the one I've already reminded you about, I do believe the most painful for him is the cruel and cold manner in which Abigail treated Timothy when Jethro attacked him." Ducky answered. "Followed closely by her allowing to lose your trust and faith in him over that dreadful Mawher situation."

"You lost me, Duck. What about when Jethro attacked him?" Gibbs demanded.

"Do you not know what took place between them during the course of that case, Jethro?" the M.E. inquired.

"No, Ducky, I don't. I was kinda busy solving the case and you know they don't tell me everything!"

"No, I should say not, most especially when part of that everything involves treating each other so with such cruelty. I was shocked myself when I heard about the terrible cd Anthony planted on poor Timothy just hours after he was attacked. Now, after talking with Timothy, I find out that Abigail turned on him when he drove the dog back here that day. Apparently, she called him "bad McGee' and took his expensive jacket to wrap the dog in, deliberately ruining it before she was done.

"You're serious." Gibbs said incredulously.

"That's not all, Jethro; the hateful way in which she treated him for the entire length of that case was compounded by Abigail bullying Timothy into taking the dog in when she could not. She did not take no for an answer."

"She usually doesn't." Gibbs admitted quietly.

"Yes, well, this is just a small sample of what Timothy has no wish to experience again. Jethro, the young man has tried and failed at dating too many times to even want to consider getting his heart broken again." Ducky explained.

"I hear ya, Duck. Anything else?" Gibbs asked.

"Jethro, I feel the need to advise you to re-evaluate the trust you do or do not have in young Timothy. I do believe a conversation between the two of you on the subject is long overdue." the older man stated.

"Ducky, I'm not in the habit of talking to these guys about it. You know that." Gibbs reminded him.

"I suggest you make this the exception, Jethro. And while you're at it, perhaps you should rethink the way in which you allow Abigail to show such disregard for her coworkers." Ducky advised with his normal brutal honesty.

"Yeah, Ducky, I do believe you're right. Thanks." Gibbs said as he patted the M.E. on the shoulder and walked out of Autopsy.

As Ducky expelled a sigh of relief mixed with frustration, a flash of light from his desk caught his eye. Before he could pinpoint it, it was gone. With a deep sense of unease, he could only pray that it hadn't been what he suspected it to be.


	5. Chapter 5

_......"Yeah, Ducky, I do believe you're right. Thanks."_

With tears streaming down her face, Abby turned the video link device off, sent an email, packed up her purse, read the reply to her email, powered down her babies, turned out the lights, and left. Too upset to drive, she walked away from the Navy yard, walked all the two blocks to the bus stop, caught the next bus that came by, and somehow managed to get home. On auto-piliot, she locked her apartment door, kicked off her shoes, and crawled into her coffin, finally allowing herself to let it all out. As the tears fell and the sobs came, she grieved; for the person she hadn't realized she'd become, for the hurt she'd inflicted on her former lover, best friend, and co-worker, for the trouble she'd caused him, for all of it, for every single negative truth she'd heard about herself, she grieved.

She hadn't meant to eavesdrop on the entire conversation; hell, she hadn't meant to eavesdrop at all. When she'd turned on the video link to Autopsy, her only intention had been to ask the man for a minute of his time so she could go up there and talk to him. What she'd gotten was the already ongoing conversation that she somehow felt compelled to listen to; glued to; like it was something she had to hear no matter what.

_"Something bothering McGee that you need to share with me, Ducky?"  
__"As a matter of fact, there is, Jethro." _

Abby had quickly and silently taped her "Do Not Disturb" sign on her door, gently closed it and locked it while listening to the unexpected silence between Ducky and Gibbs. Waiting for whatever was coming between them, she'd sat down where she could see and hear without being seen as she listened. As a last thought, she'd grabbed her lab coat to hold onto, thinking she would need it for some reason.

_"Duck, he tell you about our conversation last night? About Abby asking him to date her again?"  
_

Abby's shock had been great. She smiled from ear to ear. It took everything she had to remain quiet and still while on the inside she was rejoicing. Timmy had already talked to Gibbbs about her request! That must mean he wanted to give her another chance! Desperately, she clutched her lab coat to her mouth to stifle her joy.

_  
"Yes, Timothy did reveal that to me. I must say, Jethro I am quite surprised that you gave those two permission to break your precious Rule #12."_

_"He's been through hell, Duck. If this is what he really wants, I can't sanction standing in his way. I know I can trust him to not let it interfere with his job. They've always had a special relationship. I just thought it would be nice for him if they could actually build on it. Damn sight safer than what he's been through."_

Thank you, Gibbs! Abby had thought. I owe you a ton of Abby hugs! I knew you cared about them more than they realize! Yea!

_  
"You seem sure of that. So then, what seems to be the trouble?"_

Trouble? Is that what's going on? What is the trouble? Abby thought with fear beginning to creep up her spine.

_"Duck, last night he smiled for the first time in months. I thought he was gonna be able to take this and finally come back from all the crap he's been thrown. But, to look at him now, it's almost as if he's more bothered by the help I tried to give him than before he and I talked. Hell, he looked happier before Abby even talked to him; and he damn sure wasn't happy then!" _

_"Rest assured he is more troubled by Abby's suggestion than he is by your talk with him. But, you are absolutely right, he is troubled just the same."_

_"Why? What's going on with him, Duck?"_

As Abby listened, hoping Ducky would answer Gibbs' question, she felt her heart break with each admission and statement that came out of the M.E.'s mouth. Why hadn't she realized any of this? Why had Timmy gone to Ducky? Well, who else could he talk to? At least he told somebody, But, why did it never occur to her before, what she'd been doing to him?

Bunching her labcoat in her hands, she covered her mouth with it, soaking it with her tears while stopping the sounds of her crying from being heard. After a minute, she'd forced herself to quieten down her emotions and listen until the end.

*****

_"Yeah, Ducky, I do believe you're right. Thanks." _

Watching Gibbs leave Autopsy had spurred Abby into the frenzied motion. She'd had to get out of here. No longer possessing the ability to think past everything she'd heard, unable to deal with seeing anyone right now, she'd done the only thinkg she could think of. Sending Vance an email requesting the rest of the day off due to not feeling well, she'd packed up for the night.

For the first tine in her career, she hadn't' cared if she got approval or not, she couldn't have stayed after that, anyway. Thankfully, Vance had replied quickly, shortly and positvely. Less than two mintes later, she was gone, already heading down the stairs to the way out. For the sake of her sanity, she prayed she wouldn't run into anyone. With a great sense of relief, Abby had made it home without any problems.

Now, as the tears fell and the sobs came, she grieved; for the person she hadn't realized she'd become, for the hurt she'd inflicted on her former lover, best friend, and co-worker, for the trouble she'd caused him, for every single negative truth she'd heard about herself, she grieved.

* * *

Heading back to his desk, Gibbs found his head full of Ducky's revelations. How was it that Tim had held in so much and none of them had ever realized what was going on with him? How did the kid manage to keep his head in the game with all of that weighing him down? Gibbs had to hand it to him, he did a damn fine job of it, however he'd managed it. The boss knew that some things needed to change within the dynamics of the team.

Change, however, took time, and there wasn't anything that could change about the wrongs that had been done. No, the only change that would matter now would be to tone down his disapproval and anger when he dealt it out, to hand out praise more, and to make sure the wrongs weren't repeated. That much Gibbs could do.

It was a relief to find his three agents steadily and quietly working on their stacks of cold cases and paperwork when Gibbs reached the squad room. His relief was short lived, though when he took the time to really look at them. Where Tony was actually restless and board, Ziva had something important on her mind, something was bothering her, and Tim, well, Tim while he looked better than he had this morning, the kid looked worse than he had after he'd come back from talking Abby yesterday. Yeah, this situation was really bothering his youngest agent, despite the guy's obvious best efforts to keep it away from work

There was nothng going on today, so now was as good a time as any to do something about this problem. Not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to any of them, Gibbs decided to do thinks a little different this time. As he walked up to Ziva, he looked at her silently until she felt compelled to return his look.

"You all right?' he asked her quietly.

"I am fine. Thank you." Ziva replied in her confused tone. What could he possibly think was wrong?

Nodding at her in silent understanding, Gibbs immediately turned to Tony, asking him the same question.

"Yeah, Boss. Fine." Tony had answered.

"Good. Hold the fort." Gibbs ordered quietly as he walked to Tim's desk and again, waited until his agent looked up.

As Tony and Ziva looked on in confusion, Gibbs motioned Tim to walk out of the squad room with him, Gibbs followed McGee out of the squad room and ushered him into the elevator. Silently the boss led the way to a conference room and beckoned Tim to a chair. Finally, after a stressful few quiet minutes, Gibbs knew he had probably just made it worse by letting Tim stew in worry about whatever this was about.

"Relax. you're not in trouoble." Gibbs volunteered quietly.

""Okay." Tim let out on a sigh of relief.

"I would like you to explain something to me, though." the boss' tone ws actually calm and reassuring.

"Okay. I'll give it my best." Tim promised even though he was clearly confused.

"I know that McGee. You usually do. Almost always, as a matter of fact." Gibbs rewarded him.

"Thanks, Boss." Tim replied, relishing the unexpected compliment.

Gibbs felt a moment of frustration. There was too much ground to cover with no set place to start. Somehow, he felt Tim wasn't ready to discuss Abby with him yet. He took a chance and decided to start in the best place he could think of to get the most reaction from his agent.

"Tell me about your lunch with Ducky." Gibbs requested.

"Boss, I..." Tim suddenly felt like a trapped animal, caught unprepared and blindfolded, now staked to the floor by the hunter who'd cornered him.

"Relax. you've got nothing to worry about. I've already talked to Ducky. What I don't know, McGee. What I need you to explain to me, is why you couldn't come to me with any of this?" Gibbs asked compassionately.

"No offense, Boss. But, you and I... talking...not something that ever happens...between us." Tim explained the best way he could. As respectful as he tried to be, the young man failed to keep a lid on the obvious pain the truth of those words brought him.

"So I've been told. You're right, Tim." Gibbs' quiet admission rocked Tim's world off its' axis.

While he knew that Ducky would be able to help, he'd never even dared to hope it would bring he and Gibbs to this point. This was so far away from where they were normally at with each other, Tim had to force himself not to follow his 'pinch me, I'm dreaming' thought into reality.

Tim's every readable expression would have brought a grin to Gibbs' face, if Ducky's words describing the young man's real problem beneath the surface, weren't ringing in his ears. Uncharacteristic of him or not, this needed to be done. Gibbs stuck to his plan to take care of this with what came out of his mouth next.

"I think it's time we fixed that, don't you?"


	6. Chapter 6

In the world of Tim McGee, everything goes wrong at some point in every day, especially when, fate, the gods, and even Murphy's Law all seem to join forces in their efforts against him. Such was the conclusion Tim came to when at the very moment he'd craved for six years, was snatched away from him by the shrill ring of Gibbs' phone.

With a look of apology, Gibbs flipped the offending piece of equipment open and answered it.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"Jethro, were you aware that Abigail has gone home?"

"No, Duck, I wasn't. She okay?" Gibbs asked in concern.

"Director Vance has told me that she simply emailed him with the sudden request, claiming she wasn't feeling well." Ducky informed him.

"Okay. Well, maybe she ate something that didn't agree with her, Duck. You try callin' her?" Gibbs reasoned.

"Jethro, as you were leaving Autopsy, there was a flash of light emanating from my desk." Ducky said ominously.

"Duck? You think she would do something like that?" the younger man asked in complete understanding of what Ducky had been saying.

"It is entirely possible, Jethro. If we are correct, it would certainly explain her sudden departure as well as her refusal to speak to either of us about it before she departed. There is no way to know exactly what she heard."

"Yeah, Duck, I know. I'll take care of it. Thanks."

"I certainly hope Abigail will not hold this against us, Jethro." Ducky worried.

"C'mon, Duck, you know her better than that." Gibbs reminded him. "Relax, I'll talk to her."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. "

"Everything okay, Boss?" Tim asked with obvious concern.

"Let's hope so. C'mon, you're with me." Gibbs allowed. Maybe together, they could fix this. At the very least, they could talk some in the car ride to Abby's. Heading back through the squad room, Gibbs silently checked in with Tony.

_Any problems?  
__No, Boss, we're good.  
__Good. We'll be back. Man the fort.  
__On it, Boss._

Silently, but with his heart steadily climbing up in his throat, Tim followed Gibbs out. As they got in the car, Gibbs realized he was probably, once again sending his agent into a panic with no explanation and mentally head-slapped himself for it.

"Looks like Abby turned the video cam to Autopsy on and heard Ducky telling me what's been bothering you."

"All of it?" Tim asked in horror.

"Don't know exactly what she heard. Obviously, she took it hard. She's gone home, Sent Vance an email saying she wasn't feeling well.

"Oh, my God! Can't I do anything right?" Tim chastised himself angrily.

"Hey! This is NOT your fault! Don't even go there, you hear me?" Gibbs demanded.

"Yeah, Boss. I hear you." Tim said meekly.

"I mean it, Tim. This isn't your fault. We'll talk later but right now, we need to focus on Abby. I'll go up and talk to her, you be ready to come up if she wants or needs to talk to you." Gibbs instructed in a tone that while quiet, still held his authority.

"Ok." Tim said as he turned to look out the window. He was relieved Gibbs wasn't holding him responsible for this, but did Abby? What had she heard? Exactly what did Ducky say to Gibbs? Tim was worried. He tried to think if he'd said anything deliberately hurtful about Abby but he couldn't think of anything that would be taken that way.

"Talk to me." Gibbs requested as they stopped at a red light.

"Just wondering exactly what she heard, if there was anything I told Ducky that she would consider mean or uncalled for." Tim admitted.

"You didn't. We talked about some of the times Abby hurt you or let you down; or I did." Gibbs said as the light changed and once again he concentrated on driving.

Tim felt slightly better. It made it easier to believe that Abby was reacting to having her actions being addressed by an objective party and being explained to a not so objective party.

"Relax. Tim. Let's just wait and see what happens. I'll call you." Gibbs said as he got out of the now parked car and headed up to Abby's apartment.

As he knocked on Abby's door, Gibbs could only hope he could calm her down and get her to get through this without hating anyone.

Abby was awakened by the repeated knocking on her door. Climbing out of her coffin, she wiped her eyes on her shirt and went to her door, peeking through the peephole; she was shocked to find Gibbs waiting to be let in. Opening the door slowly, she stepped back to let him in without any need for discussion.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked sympathetically.

"Oh, Gibbs!" she cried as she flew into his arms.

Wrapping her in a hug she obviously needed, he sent up a silent prayer of thanks that she wasn't too angry to let him in on this. He gave her a couple of minutes to pull herself together before he pulled back and took himself to her couch and beckoned her to come talk to her.

"You were eavesdropping on Ducky and I?" Gibbs got straight to the point.

"It was an accident, Gibbs. I turned it on to ask him if he had time to talk to me. I was gonna go up there and see him." She defended herself.

"Okay. But, when you heard us talking and you left it on, Abby, it became eavesdropping. You know what they say about people who eavesdrop." Gibbs reminded her.

"They never hear anything good about themselves, I know. But, Gibbs! What Ducky said… what Timmy told him….all those things… have I really been that horrible to him?" she cried.

"Apparently, you have, Abbs." Gibbs said quietly.

"Why didn't he ever say anything to me?" she demanded.

"Would you have listened?" Gibbs asked her in return.

"Gibbs!"

"Abby, would you have heard him out?" he pushed.

"Probably not." She reluctantly agreed.

"He knew that. That's why he doesn't say anything." Gibbs reasoned.

Abby looked at him in confusion.

"I'm guilty of the same thing, Abbs. I don't hear him out either. Plenty of times I've let him down because of it. You heard what Ducky said."

"So, you're taking everything Ducky said to be the gospel truth?" she asked cautiously.

"Any reason I shouldn't?"

"No, of course not. It just means I've been a terrible person to Timmy. Why didn't I see it, Gibbs?"

"I don't know, Abbs. But, we all mess up, let each other down. It's part of being human. So is forgiving each other." Gibbs gently reminded her.

"I'm not mad at anybody but myself for this Gibbs, if that's what you're thinking." Abby explained.

"Gotta forgive yourself too, Abby." He advised her.

"How?" she asked.

"One step at a time." He suggested.

"How can I ever look Timmy in the eye again?" she worried.

"Weren't you able to look him in the eye when you talked to him yesterday?" Gibbs asked her reasonably.

"Well, yeah, I was." She answered.

"So, what's so different now?" he asked.

"You know what's different, Gibbs!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, I do. The question is, do you?" he pushed.

"I don't follow you."

"Abby, the only thing that's different is how you feel about yourself. Nothing else has changed. Tim hasn't changed the way he feels about you since the last time he talked to you."

"From what he told Ducky, it sure doesn't sound that way." She commiserated.

"From what he told Ducky, it sounds like he's trying to work through everything in his head and figure out what he needs. " Gibbs corrected her. "Trying to get a different perspective on things he's gone through doesn't mean he thinks any less of you."

"I know. I know you're right." Abby agreed as she let out a deep sigh.

"I know I am, too. If I wasn't he wouldn't have gotten as upset as he did when he found out what happened here." Gibbs shared.

"Oh my, God! He knows I heard everything he said to Ducky! Gibbs, he must really hate me!" she cried, throwing herself back into his shoulder with fresh tears running down her face.

"Wasn't what I meant, Abby. He's not upset with you. He's blaming himself." Gibbs corrected.

"He what? Why would he blame himself? Oh, right. Because he's Timmy and that's what Timmy does best, take the blame. You told him it wasn't his fault, right, Gibbs? I mean you have to, cause it wasn't and we can't have him thinking that for a second, Gibbs! Gibbs? Gibbs!" Abby's voice dwindled down to an outraged screech as she noticed he was sitting there grinning at her 'Energizer Bunny' speed. "That's not funny!"

"You're right, it's not. At least the Tim taking the blame part isn't." Gibbs told her as soon as she brought herself down off her momentary sugar rush.

"How do we fix it?" she demanded.

"Simple, Abby. You talk to him." Came the common sense answer.

"What if he doesn't want to talk to me?" Abby threw back.

Gibbs froze. Why hadn't he considered that? After everything Ducky just told him, why had he still managed to treat Tim the same old way? He hadn't even asked Tim if he wanted to talk to Abby; he'd just told him to be ready to do it if and when Abby was ready. _God, habits are hard to break!_ Gibbs thought.

"Won't know till you ask him, Abby." Gibbs finally answered her after he'd mentally head-slapped himself.

"Will you ask him for me? She begged.

"I can do that." He agreed.

Digging out his phone, he flipped it open and called Tim.

"Boss?"

"You up to talking to Abby now?" Gibbs asked.

"Does she want to talk to me?" Tim asked.

"Wouldn't be asking you if you were up to it if she wasn't, McGee." Gibbs answered in his usual snarky way as another of his bad habits escaped the self control he wasn't used to harnessing.

On the other end of the line, Gibbs could hear Tim take a deep breath. Sitting next to him. Abby poked him. "Be nice!" she whispered.

"Right, Sorry, Boss." Came Tm's answer. "On my way." Surprisingly, Tim hung up on Gibbs before the boss could offer anything else.

"Gibbs! Why do you treat him like that?" Abby demanded.

Gibbs silently got up and headed to her apartment door, determined to fix this. He had so many bad habits; he couldn't keep up with which ones adversely affected his agents. He had caught this one on his own and was determined to make it right. Stepping out of the apartment, he was greeted with a less than happy Tim McGee almost to Abby's door.

"Hey. Walk with me." Gibbs instructed quietly.

Tim looked confused, but obediently followed Gibbs down the hallway, and out to the walkway between the apartment buildings.

"I'm sorry, Tim. I have a lot of things I need to work on and talking to you the way I just did without cause is one of them. So is telling you to talk to Abby when she was ready. I didn't even ask you if you were ready to talk to her. I broke my own rule. I assumed."

"Thanks, Boss. I appreciate it, really, I do." Tim said as his spirit seemed to shed some weight in the face of Gibbs' most unusual and unexpected apology. "I think I can talk to her, now."

"There's no rush, Tim." The boss reminded him.

"It's okay. I'm good." Tim promised.

"Okay. Think you can get her to drive you back to work when you're done talking? I'm going back now; I'll leave you two to talk things out."

"Yeah, Boss. It's no problem." Tim promised.

"Okay. Let's go see her, then I'll head back." The boss directed.

"Abby, I'm heading back to work." Gibbs said when they entered her apartment.

"Okay. I take it Timmy's not ready to talk to me, yet." Abby said from the living room. Since she couldn't see him behind Gibbs, she had yet to realize he was there.

""Actually, Abby I'm gonna need a ride back to work after we talk." Tim said quietly.

"Timmy!" Abby squealed as she came running.

Gibbs grinned at Tim as they awaited hurricane Abby's arrival. Once she hugged Tim for all he was worth, she said her goodbye to Gibbs with a hug, a peck on the cheek, and a whispered thank you in his ear.

As Gibbs headed out, Tim felt the need to say one last thing to him. Asking Abby to excuse him for a second, Tim ran after Gibbs. The boss heard him coming and stopped in his tracks.

"McGee? Something wrong?" Gibbs asked.

"No. I just wanted to say "Thank you."

"For?"

"For being willing to talk to me about stuff, for being willing to change some things. And, although I know you're doin this for Abby, for letting me stay here and talk things out with her." Tim offered but quickly turned to walk away.

***SMACK***

"Ow! Boss?" Tim rubbed his head while he waited for Gibbs to answer him.

"I'm not just doing this for Abby! Stop thinking you don't matter around here!" Gibbs said with a touch of anger.

"Ok, Boss. " Tim said in shock. How was he supposed to know? This was new to him!

"Look, Tim. I realize you're not used to believing that you 're just as important around here as Abby, but you need to start accepting it as much as I need to start showing it." Gibbs admitted with apology in his voice.

"Thanks, Boss. I'll work o n it."


	7. Chapter 7

Walking back to Abby's apartment, Tim's head was full of jumbled thoughts and emotions. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that the only thing holding him back from wanting to give dating Abby another try, was her status with Gibbs over the rest of the team. But hadn't Gibbs just admitted that he knew what he'd told Ducky? So, that meant Gibbs knew about that, too.

Maybe, Tim could get Abby to understand why he couldn't give her an answer yet. After all, she'd heard what he'd said, too. Chances were she'd heard all of it. Only way to find out was to ask her outright.

"Hey." Abby greeted him at her door when he arrived back there. "Everything okay?"

"Thought that was my line." Tim joked. "Seriously, are you okay?"

"I'm okay, if we're okay." Abby admitted as she led him back to her couch. "I know that you know that I know what you told Ducky. I heard the whole thing."

"So I heard. Maybe you should tell me what the first thing you heard was, so I can see if you maybe heard anything wrong?" Tim suggested.

As Abby relayed the entire conversation she'd heard, Tim reassured her that she'd gotten it right.

"So, what happens now? With us?" she asked cautiously.

"What exactly is it you want to see happen with us?" Tim asked in the same sense of caution.

"I'd like to see you be happier. I think I can bring you that happiness." Abby suggested.

"Thought we made our own happiness." Tim asked with a shy smile.

"Timmy, you know that having a significant other ; the right significant other can make a huge difference.

"Yeah, Abby. I know. I was there at one point, remember?"

"Does this mean, you're not gonna talk about what I heard? The way you've been so hurt and angry at me for so long?"

"You've heard it. I don't have anything to say that can change that or erase the truth from what you heard. The question now is, what do you want to do with what you know?

"I want us to fix this, Tim!" she declared

"Okay. How do you propose we do that?" Tim asked in all seriousness.

"Guess we need to start with me telling how sorry I am. I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry I took it for granted that you were okay with everything. I never looked very deep. I saw what I wanted to see, I guess." She admitted.

"Seems like it." Tim admitted.

"I am sorry, Tim. About everything. I promise, I'll change. I'll do better." Abby promised.

"I appreciate that, Abby. I do." Tim said.

"Why is there a but in your tone?' she asked unhappily.

"I need time, Abby." Tim explained.

"Time? I don't understand. Time for what?" she asked.

"To think things through; to see a difference; to feel comfortable about it; about the idea of us; about the idea of having to worry about Gibbs' reaction if I happen to piss you off or something." Tim explained.

"Oh. Yeah. Okay. I think I see your point." She said sadly. "How much time?"

"Abby, I have no idea who long it's gonna take. I'm sorry if you want this to work out sooner than later, but I can't do it like that anymore. I just can't put myself out there like that again, I'm sorry!" Tim answered agitatedly.

Upset at her still trying to rush him when he'd just laid it all out there for here; again, he jumped to his feet and headed to the door. "I need some air." He said as calmly as he could manage.

"Tim!" Abby cried, upset that she'd pushed him too far.

Ignoring her, for once in his life, Tim kept going, walking steadily until he felt calmer. Noticing he'd walked clear out of her apartment complex and was standing out on the main road, Tim hailed a cab and told the driver to take him to the gates of the Navy Yard. Flipping open his cell phone he called her even though he didn't want to talk to her right now. He couldn't not tell her he was okay and just going back to work.

"Tim! Where are you?" Abby demanded in tears.

"On my way back to work. I'll call you." Tim kept his voice as calm as he could but he hung up as soon as he could.

Back in the office, he was relieved to find the squad room empty and no note on his desk demanding anything of him. Taking a few more minutes, he took himself to the head, not wanting to be visible untul he was completely calm.

Splashing his face with cold water, he basked in the chill and the moisture as it eased his tension and soothed his nerves. Soon, he was ready to get back to work, his mind prepared to go where it was supposed to be do get the job done.

Gibbs watched Tim arrive back in the squad room not even an hour after he'd left him at Abby's. His agent looked stressed, pissed and relieved to find the squad room empty. Seeing Tim try for a minute to refocus and get to work, he was surprised when the young man gave up and headed to the head instead. Surprisingly, Tim was only gone a few minutes and when he came back, he'd pulled himself together remarkably, now looking ready and focused for work. Ducky's words came back to Gibbs now.

_There is a part of him that does wish to build that kind of relationship with Abigail.  
Abigail, in all of her experience as your favorite, is quite unused to being denied what she wants from those on whom she can pull rank.  
More of his brain is reminding him of all the painful experiences he's been through because of her actions or words through the years._

How many times had Timm done that over the years; allowed himself only a minute to deal with his internal conflicts, with no one noticing the lengths he'd gone through to hide the things he figured no one else on his team cared about? With his background and training, it wasn't something Tim had been prepared to have to do. Team Gibbs had obviously drilled it into him, but at what costs?

It was time to finish that talk he'd tried to have with Tim earlier.

"McGee." Tim answered his phone.

"Conference Room. Same one as before." Gibbs cryptically told him in his normal style. After all there was no sense worrying him by acting different. Ending the call, he remained in the shadows watching as Tim took a deep breath and left the squad room, heading to the meeting he'd just been summoned to.

As he sat waiting for Gibbs to arrive, Tim nerves took their jumpiness up two notches and his head was beginning to pound from the stress of worrying about what this ould be about. Maybe it was just Gibbs' way of finding out what happened between him and Abby after the boss had gone back to work.

"Hey." Gibbs' cool greeting broke through Tim's thoughts and sent his nerves up a notch on the jittery scale and managed to scatter his formerly gathered backbone back to the basement of his temperment.

"Boss." Tim answered as calmly as he could manage under the stress driven situation.

"We've got a lot of things to work out, you and I. Thought we should get started on that."

"Okay." Tim's whole demeaner seemed to undergo an instant makeover. He could feel his nerves instantly settle back down around the normal mark and he swore he could even feel his backbone reconnect itself and bond together even tighter than before.

Gibbs watched Tim's body relax and actually bring him an obvious sense of ease.

"What were you so worried about?" the boss asked cautiously

"Wasn't sure what this was about, Boss." the young man admitted.

"And the not knowing had you almost tied up in knots?" Gibbs' tone was still bordering on concerned.

"I guess, so. Yeah." Tim admitted.

"Jeez, McGee. you'd think after all these years you'd have a better handle on your nerves by now." Gibbs offered watching in regret as his words obviously hit his agent like a head slap. Damn it! That sure wasn't how he meant it.

"Relax. I wasn't judging you." Gibbs offered.

Tim remained silent, unsure of what to say to that.

"Let's talk about the Mawer case." Gibbs quietly suggested.

"Okay" Tim answered just as quietly, suddenly unhappy to be in this spot right about now.

"I understand I made some pretty serious errors in juddgement. I treated you like a willfully disobedient school kid and I shouldn't have. I failed to accept Abby's culpability in the situation and I was wrong for that. While I do apologise, I also want you to know, you did not lose my respect or my trust ."

Tim looked at him in shock and blatent disbelief.

"Yeah, I can see where it seemed like it. I'm sorry. We all value trust and respect from each other and I realize now that you believing youd' lost mine affected you worse than I'd even thought about. I have been known to be a bastard, Tim. but it was never intentionally toward you. I am sorry."

Tim silently nodded. That case had hurt so much, devastated his sense of self-worth and almost had him throwing in the towel. Hearing Gibbs admit he'd screwed up where Tim was concerned, while healing, was so late in coming that it was almost painful to hear. It left Tim speechless.

Before either of them could say anything else, Gibbs' phone rang. With yet another apologetic look sent Tim's way, Gibbs answered it.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"Need to see you. In my office. Now." Vance said cryptically.

"Be right there." Gibbs answered.

"Duty calls." Tim supplied for him as Gibbs closed his phone and looked at him to explain.

"Yeah." Gibbs answered on a frustrated sigh as he headed out.


	8. Chapter 8

The rest of the week went by in a blur of working an active case that Vance had dumped in Gibbs' lap. In a way, it was a relief to have the chance to work with Abby without the time on either of their parts to wander into personal discussion of what had happened between them. Everything was back to business as usual and it took the uncomfortable place they'd left things and smoothed it out for both of them. After the case had been solved and Tim had been given an idea of the seemingly improved Abby, he took his mind back to the subject of whether or not he could date her again.

So far, there had been no cause for any new concern. Something in Tim's gut was still churning at the idea of them dating, though. He wouldn't be able to even consider it until he could figure out a way to deal with Gibbs' favoritism towards Abby. As much as Tim felt tempted to give Abby another chance, he would never waste his time or risk his work relationship with Gibbs by having to cross swords with him over Abby. No, that was the deal breaker.

He felt torn about whether or not he could be patient and wait for the appropriate moment to bring up the subject. Part of him was happy to wait it out; after all, it gave him more time to think and regroup, to watch and see, to gage and figure out. Surprisingly enough, he was finding more and more of himself wanting to say yes to the whole concept every day. Still, he had to stay tough, stay true to himself. No amount of wishing or rushing would make going through any of the pain again worth it.

Heading into the weekend, Tim sought Ducky out to thank him for talking to Gibbs on his behalf. It had made a monumental difference and Tim needed to let the M.E. know how much his help was appreciated. Tim was relieved to find him. Still at work and even better; not in the middle of an autopsy.

"Timothy! I haven't seen very much of you lately since we had lunch. How is everything?"

"Okay, Ducky. Actually, that's why I came down here, to thank you. You went to bat for me with Gibbs and whatever you told him, really helped, a lot. I just wanted to say thank you." Tim offered.

"You're quite welcome, young man. I must say, much of it was long overdue. Are you still troubled by any of what we discussed?" the M.E. asked.

"Little bit, but not worried enough about it to lose sleep over it. I'm sure it'll work itself out."

"Am I to take it that you've made your decision, then?" Ducky asked.

"Actually, Ducky, I haven't. I can't yet."

"You can't make a decision?" the M.E. asked in confusion.

"Right. Gotta wait for more stuff to work itself out." Tim admitted.

"Timothy, you do realize that nothing will work itself out without some sort of help?"

"You've already helped. I'm just waiting for the end results. It may take a while, but I don't have a choice if I want to take the chance." Tim replied.

"Meaning you do wish to date Abigail again but something's still stopping you." Ducky surmised.

"Right." Tim admitted. "I would like to try again."

"What seems to be the trouble?" the older man inquired.

"She's still Gibbs' favorite, Ducky." Tim reminded him.

"Hasn't Jethro talked with you about this?" Ducky asked in surprise.

"We've had a rough week with the case. There hasn't been time to do anything else. I just need to be patient." the younger man reasoned.

"Ah, I see. You certainly are a patient young man. Well, Timothy, you be sure and come see me if there's anything you need to talk to me about." Ducky requested.

"I will, Ducky. Thank you. Have a good weekend" Tim replied before he turned and left Autopsy.

Reaching his desk, Tim found Gibbs watching for him.

"Why are you still here?" he asked the young man.

"Had to talk to Ducky for a minute. I'm going now. 'Nite, Boss. Have a good weekend." Tim answered as he grabbed his bag and headed to the elevator.

"McGee, wait." Gibbs said.

As Tim halted in his trek toward home, Gibbs walked up to him. "You got plans for dinner?" the boss asked.

"Um, no, actually. I was just gonna go home and crash." Tim answered.

"Gotta eat, McGee. And we need to talk. So, let's do both. My treat." Gibbs requested.

"Ok, sure." Tim's surprise was obvious and it brought a grin to Gibbs' face.

"You drive." the boss' directive brought a smile to Tim's face that hadn't been seen there in a very long time. Gibbs was hard pressed not to laugh.

As Tim parked his car at the restaurant, Gibbs silently climbed out wondering why Tony was always ragging this kid about his driving. That was something else he could switch up on the team. Shake things up just a bit. Raise some eyebrows. It'd be kinda fun to watch Tim's confidence grow while Tony's world shook just a hair.

After they'd ordered and were waiting for their food, Gibbs opened the conversational floor. "Things seem to be okay between you and Abby. Have you two started dating yet?"

"No. I would have said something to you first, Boss." Tim answered nervously.

"Relax, McGee. I would be happy for both of you. Have you decided not to?" the boss was curious.

"Not exactly." Tim skirted the complete answer.

"What seems to be the problem?" Gibbs asked.

Tim looked at Gibbs for a silent minute and looked down at his water glass. Taking a deep breath, he let it out and went for it.

"I want to. Date her, I mean. But, I can't."

"Why not? What's stopping you?"

"Not what; who." Tim answered cryptically.

"Okay, who's stopping you?" the older man asked.

Tim looked Gibbs square on and answered him truthfully. "You are, Boss."

After a silent uncomfortable minute, Tim excused himself to the head and Gibbs pulled out his phone.

"Ducky." Gibbs was surprised to hear his voice come out strained.

"Jethro, is something the matter?" the M.E. asked in concern.

"How is it I'm supposedly stopping McGee from dating Abby? I already told him he could break Rule 12." Gibbs got straight to the point.

"You managed to get him to talk about it? He said he was waiting for the situation to work itself out." Ducky answered.

"Duck!" Gibbs' was impatient.

"Jethro, so long as you treat Abigail as your favored child, that young man will not risk his job or his heart on dating her again. We've already discussed this, you and I. Had you forgotten?" the M.E. asked in frustration.

"It's been a long week, Duck. Appreciate the reminder. I'll take care of it. Thanks, Duck." Gibbs snapped his phone shut and put it away.

Watching Tim return to the table a minute later, he could tell his agent was expecting a head slapping or worse. Would the young man ever stop worrying about that?

"I know what you're worried about. Sure, Ducky had to remind me, but it's not something I hadn't planned on ironing out with you before now, anyway."

"Oh?" Tim asked in surprise.

While their orders were placed in front of them and they dug in to their dinner, conversation lagged. Neither wanted to try to talk and eat too. Once they'd finished eating and were nursing their after dinner coffees, Gibbs jumped back into the conversation they needed to have.

"McGee. Tim. I know I've treated Abby like the favorite child. She's like a daughter to me." Gibbs admitted. "One that I've had since before Tony came onboard."

"I know, Boss. We all realize that." Tim reminded him. "Just like we all know Tony is like a son to you."

"All of you are important to me. You're all like my kids, Tim." Gibbs told him as he looked him straight on.

Tim's doubt flashed in his eyes before he quickly shoved it down beneath the surface. Getting into this would not solve the problem. It was a can of worms best not opened at all, much less so soon after dinner. He closed his eyes for a minute in order to school his thoughts before he spoke again.

Gibbs saw the doubt and understood the reason for it. After recalling the discussion he'd had with Ducky last week, he wasn't surprised to see it, in fact, he was shocked that this was the only response he was getting. He'd expected worse. Not sure if this was a good sign or a bad one, Gibbs filed it away to take up with Ducky later. Right now, he'd focus on wherever Tim took the conversation from here.

"Tim?"

"Boss, I can't rush into this. Even with you understanding that your favoritism toward Abby is a problem, I just can't..." Tim couldn't finish. He hadn't meant to actually say those words, to the boss, of all people. He wasn't Tony. Tony got by with saying what was on his mind, Tim had always gotten caught and head slapped for it so he'd quit doing it and was out of practice at it.

"Look at me." Gibbs request surprised Tim, but he did as the man asked and looked at him.

"Stop being afraid to speak your mind to me." Gibbs quietly advised.

"Kinda hard, Boss." the young man admitted quietly.

"Why is that?" the older man dug.

"Not something I'm used to doing." Tim evaded the dangerous end of the answer.

"There's more, what is it?" Gibbs kept digging. This problem needed to be completely uprooted.

"It's not something you've let me do before." Tim reminded him as he finally found the courage to look the man in the eye with something less than good news.

"Meaning?" the older man relentlessly dug for the bottom line.

"Meaning, whenever I attempted to tell you what's on my mind, I got scowled at, glared at or head slapped. So I stopped." Tim answered in the brutal honesty he'd need to be let out for so long.

"Why do I get the sense there's more to this?" Gibbs pushed, seemingly unfazed by Tim's truth.

"Boss, can we get back to Abby, please?" Tim asked worriedly.

"Not yet. This is part of the bigger picture and I know that you know that. You think you could give me another chance with this speaking your mind? I think it'll make a big difference for you; for us." the older man kept pushing. This was too much an important part of the problem. He didn't want Tim to have to keep going to Ducky to talk things out, He wanted his agent to be able to come to him with whatever it was he'd done.

"Sure, I can try." Tim's skepticism fit him like a glove.

"Good. Appreciate you giving me another chance, Tim. And I realize that I need to treat you all equally. But, Abby's not a trained Field Agent and its second nature to be more protective of her because of that. She doesn't have Ziva's background of being more than capable of taking care of herself in most situations." Gibbs admitted.

'She handled Chip." Tim said with a grin.

"Yeah, she did, didn't she?" Gibbs grinned back.

"It was a close call though. Tim took the grin off his face as he recalled how his heart had stopped when they'd raced to her lab in desperation, hoping against hope that they weren't too late to save her from the maniac that had set Tony up for murder.

"Yeah, it was." Gibbs agreed, likewise removing his own grin.

"If you have any doubt, like you've had before that I'll protect her with my life; tell me and this whole idea will stop right here and now." Tim boldly put out there.

"That what this is about? You're worried that I don't trust you to take care of her?" Gibbs asked in surprise.

"That's part of it. Your favoritism is too." Tim admitted.

"Okay, I can see where you'd think that. Thought we talked about this already."

"You told me I hadn't lost your trust. This is more specific." Tim advised him.

"Do you really think I would have given you the green light to break Rule 12 if I didn't trust you to take care of her and protect her?" Gibbs asked him in surprise.

"Guess I just needed to hear you say it, Boss." Tim admitted.

"Are we good now? Is that everything holding you in limbo over this?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah, yeah it is. Thanks, Boss." Tim said with a smile of appreciation.

"Think you're ready to do this?" Gibbs asked compassionately.

"Slowly." Tim admitted.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: A long over-due "Thank You " goes out to Chelsea123 for your invaluable help with this story._

* * *

Was he ready for this kind of challenge on full throttle? Would he be able to handle it and still hold on to himself and his firm belief in doing the right thing? Challenge. Abby is definitely a challenge. And Tim was definitely stubborn about some things. Was she really willing to make it work? Tim's mind flashed through all of these questions even as he reminded himself he was willing to try. They could take it slow. Set some mutual boundaries, maybe, or at least work some of them out.

Did Abby realizet he's not the same person now as he was even as five months ago, much less the same as years ago? She was a special person, one he loved with his whole heart, he always had. Of that, there was no doubt. No, the doubt lay in the ability to make it work. But, he was willing to try if she was. And the fact that Gibbs gave him his blessing, took the weight off his shoulders about it

Tim definitely needed to tell her that he still loved her and would do anything from her but that he wouldn't be willing to go through anything like they'd gone through before. Sure, he'd already told her once, but did she really understand how serious he was about it? But, he didn't need to cover all of this ground with her right away. They could work around to covering all of these bases. So long as neither one of them hurt the other as they had in times past, they'd be okay. Maybe it was time to let her in on it and see where it took them.

As he walked into his apartment after driving Gibbs back to the Yard, he looked at his watch. He saw that it was only 10: 00, but it was Friday night.. Surely, Abby would still be up. Just in case she wasn't, Tim played it safe and quietly emailed her.

_Abby:  
__If you're up, call me, please.  
-__Tim._

Not even 3 minutes later, his phone rang. Looking at the caller id, Tim smiled as he answered it.

"Hey, Abby. Thanks for calling me so quickly." Tim greeted her.

"Timmy, I'm glad you called. Does this mean what I think it means? Have you reached a decision about us?" Abby asked with excitement bubbling over in her voice.

"Yeah, Abby, I have." Tim replied with her happiness rubbing off on him.

"You sound really happy, like happier than I've heard you sound in forever. Does this mean what I think it means?" she pushed with hope.

"It means that I'm willing to give us a chance." Tim rewarded her hope.

"Timmy! Oh, my God! I'm so excited! You just wait, you'll see! We'll be great together." Abby gushed. "Wait, I heard a 'but', in your tone. Is there a 'but'? Suddenly, Abby's tone made Tim feel bad.

"Abby, yeah, there is, kind of." Tim admitted quietly. "We need to keep it out of work."

"Well, duh! No kidding! I mean I don't want Gibbs thinking we can't handle a relationship seperate from work, right?" she answered in a smart alec tone. Can you imagine if he thought we couldn't handle it? He'd be so disappointed in us!"

"Abby, we are gonna take this slow, right?" Tim asked carefully.

"What? Oh, yeah, of course, Tim. I know you're gun-shy now and need to take things slow, I get that. We'll take things as slow as you need us to." Abby promised.

"Ok. Great. Thanks for understanding Abby. Can we just keep it to dating for now?" he asked.

"You mean like starting over?" Abby asked in surprise.

"Kind of. Definitely like take things way back toward the beginning." Tim's hope was radiating through his voice.

"Yeah, I have no problem with that. I'm just glad you're willing to give us a second chance."" Abby said with genuine joy.

"Me too. It means a lot to me that you're willing to give us a second chance, too, Abby." Tim reminded her of her own open-mindedness.

"Nothin' doin, Tim. If I hadn't been so closed off to the idea of commitment, we wouldn't have to be almost starting over." her self criticism ate at him.

"Abby, don't please. Let's just start fresh all the way around, okay? Can we do that? Can we leave all the negative stuff in the past? We've both had bad experiences with looking for something in other people that we know's been here in each other the entire time. But, we still need to take it slow." Tim pleaded.

"Sure!" Abby replied in sheer joy.

"Okay. Abby, one other thing? I really don't want to be giving Tony any ammunition to throw back at me in his jibes and jokes, so can we just keep this between us and Gibbs, please? Oh and Ducky, of course." Tim requested.

"Sure, that'll be kinda cool." Abby agreed. "But, Ziva already knows I asked you. I had to talk to someone."

"Which means Tony'll be the only one who won't know. I don't like it. He'll think we're lyin' to him." Tim fretted. "Not to mention, he'll be pissed about the whole Rule #12 being bended for us and not for him."

"You leave Tony to me. If you don't want him to be told outright, we don't have to." Abby vowed. "He'll have to understand. He loves us. We're family. And I'm sure he'll see that Gibbs is allowing this for reasons of his own. I mean look how many times he's allowed Tony to treat you like crap for unknown reasons!"

"Not the same thing, Abby. Hopefully, Gibbs won't let it get too bad, though, if Tony does find out and gets upset about it. The more I think about it, Abby the less I want to keep it from him. Look how betrayed we all felt when he kept his undercover mission a secret from us."

"Relax, Timmy. Why don't you just talk to Gibbs about it and see what he thinks?" Abby suggested.

"Yeah. You're right. Thanks, Abbys. I'm really beat, Abby. I'm gonna go to bed now. If you want us to do something together tomorrow, call me, okay?"

"I will. Goodnight, Tim." Abby said sweetly.

"Nite, Abby." Tim signed off and with a genuine smile of happiness on his face; he went to bed and for the first time in months, fell asleep without any problems or bad dreams taking his sleep away from him.

Across the miles, Abby smiled so bright, it lit her entire living room where she was sitting. With her smile still in place, she picked up he phone.

_"Yeah, Gibbs."_

"Thank you!"


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Special Thanks goes out to Chelsea1234 and Shelbylou for their invaluable help.  
I thank every one of my readers and reviwers. You are each appreciated.

* * *

Tim agreed with Abby that they needed Gibbs to weigh in on how to handle the possible problem of Tony. He waited until the decent hour of 10:00 Saturday morning before he called Gibbs. It was bad enough he needed to intrude on the man's weekekend as it was.

_"Yeah, Gibbs."_

_"_Boss, do you maybe have some free time today? I really need to talk to you about something." Tim wasted no time beating around the bush this time.

"_Not busy right now, McGee. What's on your mind?"_ Gibbs asked with a touch of concern. He could count on just one hand, the number of times Tim McGee had called just to talk in the last 6 years and he just hoped there wasn't anything seriously wrong.

"Can we get some brunch or something? Please, I'd really rather talk about this in person, that is if you don't mind, Boss." Tim pushed even as his tone rung clear with quiet politeness; the combination which usually got Gibbs' gut churning with unease. It was yet another rare occurrence from his junior agent, consequently Gibbs found himself agreeing without a fight. Now, he was really beginning to worry and found himself hurrying out the door to meet his agent

Thirty minutes later found them meeting at Gibbs' favorite coffee shop. Gibbs was waiting patiently with an extramug of hot Java in his hand for Tim. He noticed Tim's arrival and took the time to look his agent over. He seemed fine, which was a relief and maybe, _just maybe,_ it wasn't too serious after all. Still, the fact that this was a first for the young man kept Gibbs' gut less than settled.

"Thanks for meeting with me, Boss." Tim said as he joined him in the booth Gibbs had already gotten for them.

"Just tell me this isn't to tell me someone's sick, dead or dying, McGee." Gibbs ordered right off the bat, unable to wait another second to be given the chance to stop worrying.

"What, oh...I'm sorry. No, no one is sick or dying. I didn't mean to leave you wondering 'bout that, Boss. I'm sorry." Tim profously apologies, feeling bad that he hadn't realized what he'd done before now.

"What's this about, then?" Gibbs asked more brusquely. "You and Abby have a fight already?"

That unexpected question stung but Tim deliberately forced himself not to react. It did take the wind out of his sails though and left him feeling less than confident once again, it was too late to change his mind though. He knew that there was no other option but to talk to Gibbs about what he was worried about. They were here, in the middle of a free weekend and the man had given up some of his free time to come hear him out. He owed him the truth, no matter how uncomfortable Tim was gonna be explaining it to him.

"I need to ask you how I should deal with Tony? I know you don't want Abby and I dating to become an issue at work, so I thought we should keep it to ourselves, but then I remembered how I felt when Tony kept his undercover op from everyone and I don't want that to become an issue between Tony and I or Tony and Abby. Boss, the last thing I want is for Tony to feel lied to or betrayed because we didn't tell him." Tim explained quietly

Tim felt a pang of guilt wash through him at the brashness he was extending over this and he decided he didn't want to see the anger in Gibbs' face. Convienently, all of a sudden that little spot on the table seemed incredibly interesting and Tim miraculously glued his eyes on to it.

Gibbs choked on his coffee. It was the middle of a free weekend and Tim was worried about how Tony was gonna react Tim and Abby having Gibbs' permission to break Rule 12? Damn, would this kid ever stop surprising him? He hadn't missed the look that filtered through McGee's eyes at his less than tactful question a minute ago and he supposed he could understand why his agent would have taken it badly. It had come across as absolute doubt in Tim, even to his own ears.

Which is why Tim's topic of concern; one he'd given up part of his weekend with Abby, no doubt, to come sort it out with his boss, raised Tim up in Gibbs' esteem. Would this kid ever cut himself some slack? But the bigger question of the hour was, as Tim had said, how to let Tony in on it, without breaking Tony's fragile ability to trust? First, Gibbs needed to be sure that there were no more issues that needed to be dealt with.

"Anything else?" the boss asked carefully.

"I would really appreciate it if we could ask him to consider this topic off limits to his harassment and put-downs. Please?" Tim asked quietly. One rarely even considered treading here with Gibbs.

"Understandable." the boss surmised. "Okay. I'll talk to him." Gibbs rewarded him unexpectedly.

"Soon?" Tim pushed. "I don't mean to push, Boss, but if we run into him over the weekend and he figures it out before..."

"Yeah. Got it, McGee. I'll take care of it." Gibbs gave in with uncharacteristic understanding and patience.

"Thank you!" the young man replied. The relief on his face was palpable and Gibbs felt a wave of respect wash over him for the lengths this guy was willing to go to make sure his teammate's feelings were taken into consideration over something so personal to Tim, even after the countless times Tony had harassed and belittled Tim over the very subject.

"Appreciate you coming to me about it, McGee. Now, go on; go enjoy your weekend with Abby." Gibbs answered with a genuine smile.

"Thanks, Boss." Tim said again as he laid money for the drinks down on the table and left with a mega- watt smile on his face that was the brightest he'd offered up in a very long time.

Smiling himself, Gibbs retrieved his phone from his pocket and called his Senior Field Agent

"Hey, Boss, what's up?" The Senior Agent's voice sounded nervous.

"You busy, Tony?" Gibbs asked casually.

"No, just chillin' with a ballgame on the tube, some pizza and beer. Nothin' that can't wait. We got a case?" Tony asked.

"Nah. I need to talk to ya 'bout something. Since you've been drinkin, I'd better bring it to you, I'll be there in 20." Gibbs advised him.

"No problem, Boss. Door's always open for you." Tony reminded him.

Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Gibbs arrived at Tony's and as Tony let the man in, his nerves began to stretch. Had he done something wrong? Was he in trouble? Racking his brain, he couldn't remember anything he might be in trouble over, recently, anyway.

"Relax, DiNozzo. You're not getting called to the mat." Gibbs told him with a grin.

"Okay, good, cause I gotta tell ya, Boss, You were starting to make me nervous with this. "Need to talk" Tony admitted.

"Yeah, I know, DiNozzo. You can thank McGee and Abby for this little 'chat'" the boss told him with a grin.

"Oh? Why? Wait a minute! Did they rat on me about the …" Tony started to ask.

**Smack**

"Thank you, Boss." Tony offered in his usual tone

"You're welcome. They didn't rat you out about anything, DiNozzo. As a matter of fact they wanted me to let you in on something." Gibbs explained cryptically.

"Oh? Okay, well in that case, I'm all ears. Wait, a minute, why are they asking you? And what on earth would make you agree to it?" Tony asked in shock.

"Because, DiNozzo, I'm the one that told them they could do it. So, they figured you should hear it from me ."

"You told Abby and Probie they could do something? The only thing I can think of that you would even care that they did, enough to worry about, wait a minute! No way! You told them they could date? You're letting them break Rule 12? Boss, what gives?" Tony asked in shock.

"Tim deserves a break on it. And I trust him to keep it out of the office." Gibbs said seriously.

"But, Boss…." Tony tried to reason.

"Tony. before I could consider letting you break Rule 12, too, one of you would have to transfer to a different team. Abby and McGee don't work the field together. It's a completely different situation with them." the boss explained.

"I get it, Boss. I do." Tony admitted seriously.

"Good, I would hate for you to think something stupid, like I'm playing favorites or something." Gibbs challenged.

"No, Boss. I do get it. But, I gotta ask ya, how long have they been dating already?" Tony asked.

'They haven't yet. Probably goin' on their first date tonight, now that they've gotten the knots out of what they were worried about." Gibbs answered.

"I'm not followin' you." Tony admitted.

"It's been a long road for McGee. That reminds me. There's something he asked me to do. This situation; Abby and McGee dating; is NOT open for ridicule, jokes or slander." The boss man instructed.

"Ever?" Tony asked incredulously.

"Ever!" Gibbs agreed.

"But, why?" the younger man was baffled. "I tease them about everything."

"If you have to ask, then you really don't know your teammate as well as you should, DiNozzo. He's been with us for how long now and you don't know what hell he's been through with women?" Gibbs asked dryly. "Most especially, this last one?"

"Yeah. Okay. I get it. But, Boss, I'm just tryin' to toughen him up about it." Tony defended himself.

"Maybe so, Tony, but not this time." The boss instructed.

"Okay." The younger man agreed.

"Yeah?" Gibbs pushed.

"Yeah. I promise." Tony vowed.

"Considering Tim willingly asked me to let you knw about it so you wouldn't feel lied to or kept in the dark, I think it's the least you can do, Tony." Gibbs advised him.

Probie did that?" Tony asked in surprise.

"He did." The boss replied. "He respects your trust a lot. Make sure you return the favor."

"Oh, wow." The younger man reacted. "I will, Boss.

"Now that that's settled, I'll leave you to your ballgame. See you Monday, DiNozzo."

"Yeah. Thanks, Boss. I appreciate you coming here to let me know." Tony offered.

"You're welcome. Enjoy your game."


	11. Message from the Author

SHORT INTERMISSION

Shelbylou and I would like to take a minute to extend an apology to our readers.

We have not forgotten or abandoned this story.

It won't be long before we return to our couple of the hour

And their story is just beginning, do not fear.

Even Tony and Ziva's story will become intersting along the way

So, we beg your forgiveness and hope to see you when we return.

Respectfully,  
Smartkid37

P.S. Even if something new pops up from us in the meantime, do not fear  
this one will be picked back up - soon.


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: This chapter was wonderfully created by Shelbylou.  
Three Cheers for her brilliance and a job well done!_

* * *

Tim stood in front of the mirror and smoothed his hand down the front of his casual shirt. He hadn't been able to resist stopping off at one his favorite designer stores to grab himself a new set of clothes and something special for tonight. This was a fresh start and what better way to start fresh than to treat yourself to some new clothes for the occasion? He gave himself one last glance in the mirror before picking up his jacket and wallet.

He had already set his keys and that something special out on his computer desk and reached over to grab them. He held the little white envelope in his hand and tapped it confidently against his fingers before placing safely in the pocket inside his jacket. He reached over and stopped the soft Jazz music that filled his apartment before heading out of the door.

Abby was sitting in her living room sipping on the Cafpow she had bought and stored in the fridge. She was dressed and ready for the big night ahead and could feel every cell in her body vibrating with sheer excitement. Timmy, her very special Timmy, had refused point blank to let her know where they were going and the curiosity had been killing her. She grabbed her bag and pulled out the deep red lipstick she knew Tim loved. Just as she was about to retouch, she heard a knock at the door and jumped with sheer excitement at the thought of her hot date standing on the other side of the door.

"Hey Timm......"

Abby had just opened the door but her exclamation was cut dead by the emptiness on the other side. She shook her head with confusion before stepping out to look around. There was no one there and she glanced back and forth a couple of times before going back in. Just as she was about to close the door, she was stopped by Tim's voice.

"Abbs, hey."

He bent down and kissed her firmly on the cheek before pulling the dozen, hand tied black roses from behind his back. He smiled as Abby bounced up and down at the gift that he had ordered earlier and stopped off to collect on the way.

"Oooh, they're gorgeous Timmy. Come on in, I won't be a minute."

Tim followed her in and watched as she slicked on her lipstick and gave herself a quick squirt of perfume. New perfume? Tim thought as she made her way back over to him.

"So Agent McGee, where are you taking me tonight?" Abby purred.

"You want me to ruin the surprise Miss Scuito?" Tim playfully asked in return, with a grin on his face.

"Don't tease, it's so not fair." Tim smiled at the playful pout that adorned Abby's face and pulled out that little white envelope.

"Ok, ok, I give in. I've booked us in at Jaleo. These are a little something special."  
Abby was beaming as she took the envelope from Tim's outstretched hand.

"Yea! I love Jaleo. Good Spanish food, good company, and in a very romantic setting to boot McGee. I love it."

Abby opened the envelope and pulled out two small tickets. Tim could almost hear her jaw hit the floor when she saw what was inside.

"You got....seriously, you manag....Timmy you are the best!! Brainmatter! Where did you get the tickets? They were all sold out." Abby exclaimed.

"I've had them a while Abbs. Even if we didn't start dating by then I would have asked you to go with me. I know how upset you were last time they played and we couldn't make it." Tim told her sincerely.

"You are the best boyfriend ever." Abby rewarded him with a genuine smile and a tight hug.  
Tim flushed at the statement and wrapped his long arms around her before pulling away to hold out his arm so Abby could link hers in. She took his arm and let her date lead her out into the night.

* * *

Tim had decided to drive and handed the keys to his beloved Porsche to the valet.

"Take care of her for me ok?" He asked with complete seriousness.  
The valet smiled and nodded.

"For a car like this, I'll make sure it gets the best treatment." The man promised.

Tim chuckled slightly and turned to lead Abby into the restaurant. He paused slightly and looked at the slightly bewildered look that adorned her pretty face.

"Abbs?"

Abby turned her gaze to him and smiled ruefully.

"Sorry Timmy, I just got this weird feeling that I was being watched. You know how you get this hinky feeling and can sense it."

"Well, people are probably looking and wondering what I did to get such a gorgeous girl to go out with me." Tim reassured her with a smile.

Abby smacked him softly on the chest and straightened her back.

"OR, they could be wondering what I'm doing out with such a handsome guy. Don't put yourself down Timmy; you know how I hate it."

He kissed her on the cheek and paused briefly with his cheek resting on hers.

"I wasn't Abbs. I just wanted you to know how beautiful you are." He whispered gently in her ear before pulling away to lead her into the restaurant.

They were soon chatting comfortably over a drink whilst they waited for their order to arrive.

"How did you know I loved Tapas? This place is amazing." She asked finally.

"I got the scuttlebutt from a friend, and yes that is all I'm going to say Abs." Tim said through the soft laughter. Abby's eyes narrowed slightly and she smiled that knowing little smile that drove him crazy.

"And said friend wouldn't be the one and only Anthony DiNozzo Junior would it."  
Tim looked incredulous at her guess and shook his head.

"I should have known you'd guess that...how?" he shook his head slightly and laughed "Never mind. Tony rang me this afternoon to congratulate me on the two of us finally, quote, 'getting it together'." Abby laughed loudly and picked up her glass of red wine.

"The boss man came through! Tony's really ok with us dating?" Abby's voice took on a pang of uncertainty that didn't go unnoticed by her date.

"Oddly enough, he's fine with it. I asked Gibbs to gently nudge Tony in the right direction. Looks like he came through" He reached his arm over the table and waited for Abby to lay her hand in his.

"We have their blessing Abbs, so how about we agree to thank DiNozzo on Monday and forget about everyone else for the time being."

Abby grinned and stroked her thumb gently over the back of Tim's hand.

"I'll drink to that Timmy" she said, raising her glass. Tim laughed and picked up his glass of Ice water and toasted their romantic evening.

* * *

The meal passed too quickly and between the Tapas and the conversation, Abby and Tim soon found themselves feeling totally at ease with each other. Abby was surprised to find, that despite working with each other and seeing her crush on a daily basis, there were things she didn't know about Tim. She listened intently as he regaled her with stories of his childhood and told her of the sorrow he felt when he crashed the very first car his father had bought him. She had seen his legs and knew the scars were the result of the wreck he had when he was sixteen. What she didn't know, were the gruesome details that surrounded that incident.

"So you woke up in the hospital, and then what?"

"Abbs, this isn't exactly what I planned to talk about tonight." Tim admonished quietly.  
Abby smiled sweetly and shrugged her shoulders.

"It's all a part of you Timothy McGee, so I want to know everything."  
Tim's eyebrows were practically sitting in his hairline at her statement so he carried on with his story.

"Yeah" Tim huffed out a short laugh "I woke up with my legs in traction and my dad standing over me. All I could think about was how angry dad was going to be. The funny thing was, he wasn't really mad at all, I just felt really guilty at crashing the car. Especially seeing as I'd only had it a day or so"  
Abby gasped as Tim described his injuries and the long recovery he endured afterwards.

"My poor little Timmy, I'm glad it had a happy ending"

Tim reached down to his plate and scooped up some of his Espuma de avellanas y chocolate. He reached over and held the spoon in front of Abby's face.

"You've got to try this Abb's, it's really, really good."

Abby opened her mouth and let Tim spoon the decadent chocolate and hazelnut mousse torte into her mouth. She chewed and leaned her head back slightly as the richness of the desert sent her taste buds spiralling.

"Wow that is good. It puts my ice cream to shame."

"You wanna swap?"

"I've got a better idea, how about we just share."

Tim's grin practically lit up the room as they shared their deserts.

30 minutes later found Tim arguing playfully about the bill; Abby had tried to 'go Dutch' but soon conceded when Tim told the waitress under NO circumstances was she to take his date's money or credit cards. Abby had tried to use that playful pout again but soon discovered that years of working together had hardened Tim's resolve to it. She rewarded Tim with a kiss that made his toes curl, not the kiss on the cheeks that the two had been exchanging, but a soft kiss on the lips that had the waitress waiting with the pen and portable credit card machine patiently.

The waitress had handed Tim back his credit card and Abby and Tim walked towards the door. Tim grinned when the valet opened the door for them and couldn't resist slipping his hand gently into Abby's soft one. He handed over the ticket for his car and stood there chatting happily with Abby. He noticed she was shivering slightly and noticed the goose bumps that peppered her bare arms and was just about to take his jacket off, when a dark figure barrelled towards them as though the seat of his pants was on fire. Tim tried to pull Abby out of the way, but didn't quite manage it as the figure barged through the two of them, ripping their hands apart before shoving Tim sharply into the wall.

"Timmy!" Abby's shout seemed to startle the hooligan and he glanced over his shoulder briefly before stepping of the curb......right into Tim's the hood of Tim's car.

"I'm ok Abby, it's nothing" Tim noticed her wet eyes and pushed himself away from the wall. He gently nudged her head up with his finger. "Hey, Aw come on Abbs. It's nothing, just some idiot in a  
hurry. We're not going to let this ruin our night ok"

She nodded slightly and looked over to Tim's porche. Tim pulled her into tight embrace and kissed the top of her head gently. He smiled at her warmly when she pulled away and grasped hold of his hand once again.

"I hope he didn't damage it" she said sadly as Tim took the keys from an apologetic Valet. He couldn't help but smile at the guy's comment when he walked Abby round to the passenger side to open the door for her.

"Hell of a way to treat a Porsche"

Tim tipped the valet and paused briefly to glance at the hood of his car. He sighed heavily when he saw the small dent that had been left there and made a mental note to take it to the garage first  
thing on Monday morning, there was no way he was going to even attempt to hammer that out of his baby by himself.

He stepped into the car and opened the glove compartment; he had made sure that no matter what, tonight, Abby was going to be treated with the affection she deserved. He pulled out the silver, moon shaped box of chocolates he had seen in one of the chocolatiers shops and placed it in her lap.  
She looked up at him with that infectious grin and leaned over to steal a quick kiss before Tim pulled away and buckled his seat belt.

"You ready to go dance the night away Abbs?"

"Absolutely Timmy, as long as you are right there with me"

Tim pulled away into the mainstream traffic and knew that no matter what, Abby would walk away from this night on a complete high.

* * *

Tim parked the car and walked Abby to her door. They had spent the remainder of the night dancing together in the mosh pit in front of the stage. Abby had been amazed that her date had managed to get the best tickets and had been beside herself with excitement.

Abby pulled out her keys and opened the door; she stood there for a second before grabbing Tim's arm to pull him into her apartment.

"You are coming in for coffee McGee and I won't take no for an answer!"

Tim laughed loudly and allowed himself to be led towards the kitchen. Abby soon had the coffee machine brewing the expensive ground coffee beans she knew Tim loved so much poured the hot nectar into two mugs. They walked into the living room and sat on Abby's large plush couch.

"I have had the best night EVER tonight." Abby stated as she placed her coffee on the table. "I can't believe you did all this for me!"

Tim was brimming with pride and something akin to adoration for Abby right now. She looked so sweet sitting there hugging one of the red cushions that were a brilliant contrast to the black velvet  
that covered the couch.

"Me too Abbs, who knew Brainmatter could be so good!"

"I told ya. None of you believed me when I had the tickets last time" Abby gloated.

Tim blushed when he remembered the time they had all ran off out of the squad room enroute to what had turned out to be that awful case onboard the Chimera. He'd felt bad for Abby at the time, but had to admit to himself that he really didn't want to go. The only reason he had gone tonight was the fact that Abby wanted to see them so badly.

"it was just......I......we....it's not that we didn'...."

Abby howled with laughter and placed her hand on his forearm to stop the stuttering, nervous  
answer.

"Tim stop! You had a case, that couldn't be helped"

Tim laughed nervously and sipped at his doctored coffee. He knew that none of them wanted to go, but had been prepared to endure one night of noise just to make her happy. Luckily the case had come up and he was saved from enduring the torturous band. At least, that was then. He had really enjoyed the concert tonight and found himself soon drawn into the atmosphere that enveloped him, causing the amazing, overwhelming adrenaline rush that had him dancing alongside Abby. He glanced down at the coffee mug and looked at Abby with surprise.

"Wow, that's good Coffee!"

"I got it from Gibbs' favourite coffee store. Boss man's got taste"

"Yeah, he does." Tim admitted.

"What can I say, that man knows his coffee" Abby giggled and placed the cushion behind her as she scooted closer to Tim. She sighed contentedly when Tim wrapped his arm securely round her shoulders and laid her head down on his strong chest.

"Thank you for tonight Timmy. It's been amazing" Abby purred contentedly.

He hugged her closely to him and rested his chin on top of her head, for the first time in a very long time, actually feeling good about himself, as he answered her. "It really has Abbs, it really has"


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: This chapter was wonderfully written by Shelbylou.  
Three Cheers for her continued brilliance and another job well done!_

* * *

Tim woke slowly and cringed at the crick in his neck, moving it slightly, he was relieved when he heard the satisfying crack that signalled the release of the muscles that had seized given the bad position he had slept in. He rubbed his hand over his face and gradually let the room come into focus. _This isn't my apartment _was the first thought that popped into his head and it took another few seconds for him to realised he was still sitting on Abby's couch with the lovable Goth's head in his lap. He reached down and carded his hands through her hair and smiled gently at the memory of last night.

**_Saturday night............._**

_"It really has Abbs, it really has."_

_He smiled gently when Abby hummed her acknowledgement, he could see her eyes starting to droop and gently kissed her temple._

_"Lie down Abb's."_

_"wha...no, I'm good Timmy."_

_"I can see that, how about we get you to bed."_

_ "__Not on the first date Timmy." Tim saw the smirk on her face and couldn't help but smile._

_"Now where's the fun in that. Abbs, you need to sleep, you're exhausted." Right on cue Abby yawned loudly._

_"Not yet ok? Can we watch a movie?" _

_"You sure Abbs?" Tim could see the tiredness in Abby's eyes and frowned slightly._

_"Hmm, I don't want tonight to end"_

_She moved slightly, and watched as Tim picked a movie from her collection, he moved to the kitchen and grabbed two soda's before making his way back to the couch and snuggling back in with Abby._

**Present time.................**

He smiled at the memory of Abby curling up in his lap and falling asleep before he opening credits had stopped rolling, _damn, she's stubborn. _ He had considered carrying his girl to the bedroom but soon found their positions comforting and drifted off to sleep.

He was lot in his thoughts of the previous night when Abby stirred.

"Mornin'. Hey, what're you smiling about?"The question wasn't said in malice, it was a genuine question and the fact that Tim was practically humming with happiness elated her.

"Just remembering last night." He watched Abby uncurl and stretch like a languid cat "and good morning. You want coffee?"

"I'll get it, you the guest."

Abby sat up and turned to face Tim; smiling broadly she planted a kiss gently on his cheek.

"You want breakfast Timmy?"

"Just coffee please, Abbs, then I need to get going because Jethro will want food and his morning walk"

Tim could almost hear the cogs turning in Abby's mind as she walked towards the kitchen, curious, he followed.

"Or we could........."

She was interrupted by her landline ringing incessantly. She picked up the phone happily.

"Hello, Abby Scuito........Hello.........is there anyone there.....Hello.....er goodbye." She hung up the phone with a tinge of annoyance and stood there holding the wireless, black handset.

"You ok?" Tim's voice broke through her reverie but Abby was saved from answering by the shrill ring again. Sighing heavily she answered again.

"Hello..........hello..........is there anyone there........"

Tim took the phone off her and listened silently, he cold faintly make out the sound of light breathing on the other end, as if the person was trying not to make a sound at all.

"Whoever you are, you really need to grow up!" He hung up the phone and placed it on the table. Seeing Abby's worried face, he moved towards her and wrapped his long arms around her slender frame.

"It's probably a wrong number Abbs, don't worry about it ok." Tim's soothing words were followed sharply by the shrill ringing again. Tim reached across and grabbed her hand before she could answer.

"Leave it. Tell you what, go get washed up and dressed and we'll go out for breakfast and a picnic in the park. We can take Jethro with us so he can have a run."

Abby had all but completely melted into the hug and nodded against Tim's shoulder. She moved away and walked away, leaving Tim standing there looking at the phone morosely. Sighing heavily, he placed the phone back on the base station and grabbed himself a bottle of water out of the fridge.

* * *

An hour later saw the two of them driving to Tim's apartment in his Porsche. In the daylight, the dent didn't look too bad which left him feeling more than slightly relieved; the thought of the immense invoice for the repair had left him feeling slightly despondent, though he didn't let Abby see it. He slowed down and pulled over outside a coffee shop before turning to Abby and grasping her hand lovingly.

"I'm gonna get some coffee, do you want anything?"

"Oooh, yes please. Oh, Oh, Timmy can I have one of those little Danish swirly things?" Tim smiled at her enthusiasm and nodded his head.

"For you Abbs, anything. Any preference on flavour?"

"Chocolate of course, or those toffee pecan ones......Hmmm, I can't choose, you pick."

Tim grinned broadly and handed her the keys before giving her hand a squeeze. He reached over and opened the glove compartment to grab a couple of CD's that were a far cry from his normal, chilled out Jazz music.

"I bought these for you last night. Thought you might want to listen to one while I'm gone." The squeal of delight turned a couple of heads and Tim blushed happily. Abby put one of the Brainmatter CD's into the player and danced along merrily, giving Tim the opportunity to get out and make his way into the coffee shop.

Abby glanced out of the window and into the coffee shop, she could see that Tim was already being served and found herself looking forward to the coffee she had missed out on this morning. There was a huge line behind him and Abby smiled when she saw the two large coffees standing alongside a large container of her beloved Cafpow, she let her eyes wander down his back and felt a wave of adoration when she skimmed his lean body. It was short lived though and she watched with horror as a hovering figure seemed to come out of nowhere when Tim turned, holding the drinks in a cardboard carrier. The man seemed to barrel into Tim and knocked the coffees and cafpow right out of Tim's hand towards his body, he didn't have time to react and the scalding liquid was spilt all down the front of his shirt.

"Oh no! Timmy." She stepped out of the car and scowled harshly at the guy as he ran out of the shop, She couldn't help but think that there was something strangely familiar about the guy, but she just couldn't quite put her finger on it. She started to make her towards the door but stopped when she saw Tim walking out carrying fresh drinks.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Timmy, are you ok? We need ice, lots and lots of ice!" She was bouncing with anxiety as she moved the top of his sodden shirt out of the way and winced slightly at the sight of the red welts that adorned his where the hot coffee had splashed. Tim frowned when he looked down at his exposed chest and tried to smile reassuringly at Abby.

"It's fine Abbs, It's just little hot and red. It looks worse than it feels and I'll take a cold shower when we get to my apartment."

Abby nodded slowly and took the drinks out of his hand, he giggled at the wicked grin that had spread across her face.

"Hmmm, you want company Timmy." Shaking his head, he looked at her and burst into a fit of giggles.

"One day I'll take you up on that offer Abbs, but right now we're taking it slow, remember?."

"Not like we haven't been there before McGee, what's the difference?" Abby teased.

She could see the sadness spread across his face and looked back at her with a serious expression.

"We've already talked about this, Abby. I thought you understood. Thought we agreed. I don't want us to mess this up. I want this to work out." He was almost upset which served to do nothing but amuse Abby.

"Only in my dreams then...Huh. Don't worry, Timmy, I'm just yanking your chain. Come on, didn't you say something about a picnic in the park?"

Tim took a minute to think about her sense of humor, and then managed to smile as he climbed into the driving seat before taking the wheel, it wasn't long before the happy couple were laughing and preparing for their day together.

* * *

Tim and Abby sat on a large plaid blanket on the lush green grass in Anacostia park. Tim had found the perfect place which overlooked the river and was watching Jethro carefully as his beloved German Shepard frolicked on the bank of the river. He had never figured out why Jethro didn't seem to like swimming in the water and never got further than dipping his paw in the cool water.

"He's really good isn't he."

Tim turned his head towards Abby and laughed.

"Yeah, you know what, and I hope you are listening carefully because I won't be saying this _ever_ again." The playful note in his voice didn't go un-noticed and made Abby grin broadly. As if anticipating his next sentence, her chest puffed out with pride, Tim could almost hear the _'I told you so' _humming out of every pore. Tim inhaled a large dramatic, playful breath.

"Thank you for convincing me to keep him. It almost makes the pain and minor infection from the bites worth it."

She slapped his arm playfully before leaning over for a tender kiss. She had known, back when she begged Tim to save Jethro from the dreaded euthanasia, that the dog would be perfect for him.

"I'm always right McGee, you know that. You'd be lost without Jethro and you know it." Her chest puffed out even further and she gazed over at the adorable pooch.

"Not always, Abby. You and I will always disagree about the rest of what happened on that case. But, in regard to Jethro, yes, you were right, even if you went about in a not nice way. And since you were right about him, I will never ever doubt you again." Tim bowed down low in mock worship of his queen, his good humor restored. This made Abby squeal loudly and she lunged at him, pushing him down heavily on his back before straddling his waist.

"Ooof."

"You are in so much trouble now mister, you forget that I know how ticklish you are."

She tickled him on his stomach and watched as Tim squirmed as much as he could with her sitting on his midsection.

"Abbs, stop.....I can't bre..........NO!" He grabbed her wrists and held them firmly behind her back, he was panting with the effort of getting his giggles and breath under control.

"Oooh Timmy, is this how you apprehend all your suspects. And that better be your gun."

Tim released her hands and pulled her down for a kiss, he was lost in the warm passion when he felt a large, wet tongue run across his cheek.

"Eww, Jethro........."

His words were cut short when a loud crack sounded from the trees and Jethro yelped loudly. Abby all but jumped off Tim who grabbed her and held her down firmly on the blanket.

"Damn it, Abby, stay down!" Tim barked at her in anger mixed with fear.

He reached down to his ankle to grab his secondary weapon but stopped when a kid no older than 12 walked out of the trees holding what looked like a toy rifle. The kid ran towards his mother who was running over to the tress with a face like thunder. He heard her berate the child harshly before grabbing the toy and marching him towards the parking lot.

_"Adam, how many times have I told you about that toy. We're going home NOW!"_

Tim let out a sigh of relief but blanched when he heard Abby's whimper. Looking over at her, he could see the tears that stained her beautiful face, they were falling freely as she gazed at Jethro. Following her gaze, he looked at his dog and shouted his name when he saw the trickle of blood oozing out of Jethro's flank.

"JETHRO!"


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: This chapter was wonderfully written by Shelbylou.  
Three Cheers for her continued brilliance and another job well done!_

* * *

Tim was sitting at the veterinary hospital waiting room, with Abby curled up around him at his side. She was whimpering slightly and every now then she raised her head as if to say something but stopped herself, and went right back to using Tim as a prop in her comfort. There was nothing he could do, her kind nature to man and beast, often offset her from the norm and clouded her judgement in ways that were unexplainable. Today however, she was scared. Scared for Jethro; scared for her Timmy; and Scared for herself. Tim found he couldn't do or say anything to make her feel better so just carried on with the tiresome reassurances that did nothing to ease his own mind, let alone his little Goth, he was at an impasse, a complete quandary as he sat there and waited for the Vet to come out and tell him how his dog was.

It had originally amazed him, that when the incident happened, he found himself going straight into _agent _mode, that stoic methodology that just takes over and he had let his instincts guide him. It was a far cry from that shy little agent of yesteryear that would have tried to melt into the floor in a bid to keep himself safe. He had helped Jethro with an almost robotic hand, and driven him to this hospital at top speed, it was a wonder he didn't get pulled over by the traffic cops, no, it was a miracle because he was sure he'd broken just about every traffic law to get here. Abby stirred at his side and he felt her grip tighten on his side where her hand was clutching his shirt.

"Shh Abbs, he's going to be fine. Jethro's a tough old thing."

"Why haven't they come out yet? He's going to be ok, he has to be. Timmy, promise me he'll be ok."

Tim's face darkened, he wanted to believe in what he was telling Abby, he wanted nothing more that for the reassurances to be true. Right now the words were hollow and empty, but she needed to hear them. He reached over with his right hand and wiped the moisture away from Abby's eyes.

"Abbs, he's in the best hands right now. They'll help him as much as they can and before you know it, he'll be running round the park without a care in the world."

"I know. If he can survive it once, he can survive it again right?"

Tim frowned at the comment as it bought back memories of that time when Jethro had lunged at him, the razor sharp teeth tearing at his arm and his neck. No! He wasn't going there, it's in the past and that drug crazed dog was gone. In its place was Jethro, his beautiful, lovable, doe eyed German Sheppard who didn't deserve to go through this crap again.

"He's tough, Abbs."

He felt Abby sit up and pull away slightly.

"I know he's tough, it's just that...Timmy, there was so much blood."

Her wail rang through the waiting room and Tim found himself lunging forward to capture her in her arms, wrapping her in a hug so tight that he thought he might suffocate her. He shoulder felt wet where she had sobbed into it and he did the only thing he could think of........He held on.

_Two hours ago......._

_"Jethro!"_

Tim's heart stuttered at the sight of his faithful German Sheppard lying on the ground with blood completely covering his flank, he had already made sure Abby was ok and that she was still laying low. There was no chance in hell he was letting her become a target, the fact that he was exposed in the worst way possible was bad enough, he thought about his boss and the headslap he would receive at putting himself in direct fire, but didn't care, Jethro needed help.

In no time at all, Tim was by his side trying to assess the damage, he blanched at Jethro's low growl of warning, the memories of the last time the large dog had actually done that, resurfaced briefly before being pushed down enough for him to help.

Grabbing a handful of the paper napkins that he had bought with him, Tim wasted no time at all and pushed them onto the wound. He had no idea as to whether or not it was the right thing to do, it was for humans, but for dogs? The training kicked in and he winced at the yelping that escaped Jethro as Tim applied slight pressure to the wound. As he sat there and crooned at his beloved pet, he remembered the days when he would be physically frightened at the sight of being greeted by an overly excited, large German Sheppard. That fear was something that had stayed with him for months after the attack but he soon started to believe what everyone had been telling him, that the dog's reaction had been due to the cocaine that had been found in his system.

He ignored the yelps and kept his left hand pressed firmly onto the wound whilst trying to recover something out of his pocket. Jethro growled at the movement, but Tim knew it was nothing but a response to the pain that the animal must have been feeling. He stopped his search momentarily and reached down to lovingly stroke Jethro's head.

"Shh Jethro, I know it hurts and I'm sorry , boy. We'll get you fixed up soon, ok?"

He heard Abby shuffling nearby and finally fished his car keys out of his pocket. Tossing them over to her he looked over to her and made the decision that it would be ok for her to move.

"Abbs, we need to get him to the veterinary hospital. I need you to go and get the car. There's a road just up there, you should be ok to stop there whilst we load him.........ABBY!"

Abby pulled herself back to reality and pushed the shocked stillness down to grab the keys that had landed near her arm. She acknowledged Tim with a sharp nod of her head, stood up and ran to the car park as fast as her legs would physically carry her. She finally found the car and wasted no time at all in driving it to the spot that Tim had previously pointed out.

By the time she arrived, Tim had haphazardly packed up the picnic and wrapped Jethro lovingly in the plush blanket he had bought with him for them to sit on. And so it was, that she found Tim standing there holding his beloved dog with tears in his eyes. Fear prickled inside her and she jumped out of the driving seat and stood staring at the scene.

"Timmy?"

"He's ok, Abbs, he just got a bit feisty and it scared me. No harm done. Abbs, he usually sits in the middle when there's a passenger, you going to be ok with him in your lap?"

"Timmy, of course! Please, can we go, he really needs help."

Tim waited or Abby to get in the car and gently laid Jethro across her lap. Jethro whimpered slightly and he prayed that the bullet didn't do any serious damage. He had found, that in the years following the biting incident, Jethro had become his companion, his best friend and he found himself looking forward to spending time with his dog. He had no idea what he would do if Jethro didn't make it, it would tear at his heart just as much as losing a friend, or family member. _Jethro was going to make it, he had to._

***********

_Present time......._

__

Tim pulled away from Abby and guided her back to the chair that she had been sitting. He crouched down in front of her, and with both hands resting on her thighs, he leaned in to talk to her quietly.

"Hey Abbs, I'm gonna go call Gibbs, ok? You gonna be all right for a minute?"

Abby's eyes went wide at the thought of informing Gibbs, though she understood that if they didn't, their lives wouldn't be worth living for the next few days. She nodded morosely and felt Tim squeeze her hand in a bid to offer comfort and reassurance. It didn't, nothing ever did until she knew for sure, that her family were safe. She gazed at Tim as he walked out of the door with hunched shoulders, he was already hitting buttons on his phone and so had his head bowed. Turning her attention back to the door that Jethro had been take through when he came in and waited patiently, praying that everything would be all right.

***********

Tim found a bench just outside the front entrance and sat down heavily whilst waiting for the phone to be answered. He didn't have to wait long and soon found himself dreading the difficult conversation he was about to have.

_"Yeah. Gibbs."_

"Hey, Boss, it's Tim"

_"Well yeah, McGee, I know that."_

"Oh. Anyway, Boss, I think we may have a problem." Tim heard the sharp intake of impatient breath and cringed.

"_You better not be ringing me to tell me something went wrong with Abby, McGee! Damn it, you know how much was at stake!"_

"No, Boss, everything's fine with me and Abbs." The pain in Tim's voice was impossible to miss. Gibbs still doubted him; that much was obvious.

_"Then what's the problem_." Tim felt as though he was pulling teeth, sometimes Gibbs could be easy to talk to, this was one of the times that his boss was being plain awkward.

"We were at Anacostia with Jethro having a picnic when we heard shots fired. I moved for my backup but saw a kid walk out of the trees with a toy gun. I thought it was fine but......."

_"You and Abby ok, McGee?"_ The concern in Gibbs' voice practically dripped down the phone into Tim's ear. Tim sighed heavily knowing that this was going to be a tough conversation to have.

"Yeah, we're okay. Jethro took a hit though. We're at the veterinary hospital now waiting to hear how he's doing."

_"Which one?"_

"Friendship Hospital for Animals on Brandywine Street NW, Boss."

_"Ok, McGee, hang tight and we'll be there soon."_

"Thanks, Boss."

He heard the phone click off and sat there hanging onto his cell. It took a couple of minutes before he felt as though he could go back in and stood wearily. He turned to walk back into the waiting area and as he walked in, he saw Abby talking to one of the vets on duty.

"Timmy, you're here. Doctor, this is Timothy McGee, Jethro's owner."

"Ahh, Mr McGee, well its good news. The bullet seemed to have grazed the flank as opposed to actually penetrating it, but it did cause some very minor damage which we have repaired. He lost some blood so we would like to keep him in overnight to replenish his fluids."

The relief on Tim's face was evident and he felt Abby's fingers curl around his hand. He held onto her tightly as if she was his lifeline that anchored him.

"So he's going to be ok, Doc, I mean, there's not going to be any lasting effects?"

"He'll be weak and sore for a few days, but there shouldn't be any lingering effects. I couldn't tell you at this stage what the weapon was, but I can tell you it was small caliber. He'll have to wear a collar for a few days to stop him licking the wound and you'll have to keep an eye on him for signs of infection."

Tim knew that Jethro would hate the horrible coned collar and got ready to ask the vet another question when he was interrupted Tony's voice ringing through the waiting room.

"Probielicious! You can't go on one little date without getting into trouble can ya?" Tony's jovial voice lifted Tim's spirits only slightly. This barb hit too close to the one Gibbs had already lobbyed at him earlier, though, and it took some doing to force the hurt back down so he could think straight. He would always play the wounded comrade about the comments, and normally, they would make him smile before it was all over. But, not this time. He turned to face Tony and frowned at Abby as she tried to stifle her relieved laugh.

"Obviously not ,Tony." Tony's face fell slightly at the deadness of Tim's voice and he slipped on his mask of concern.

"How's McMutt doing, he gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, they're keepin' him in but it was just a graze. Jesus, it could have been Abby." Tim said with a mountain of guilt radiating off of him.

Gibbs walked into the conversation at that very moment and gave Tim a hard slap on the back of his head. He knew exactly where Tim's head was at and he also knew he was partly to blame. It needed to be stopped, now!

"Ow, Boss. What was that for?" Tim's yelp turned the heads of nearly everyone in the waiting room.

"THAT was for forgetting someone else that could have been hurt, Tim." Gibbs told him quietly with a hint of compassion in his eyes.

"There was no one else with us, Boss." Tim's face crumpled with confusion which bought a small smile to Gibbs' face.

"You, McGee, I'm talking about you!" Gibbs reminded seriously.

Tim quietly and gratefully accepted Gibbs' screwed version of concern mixed with an apology for his initial jump to the conclusion that Tim had somehow screwed things up with Abby already. It took a large chunk of the weight off his heart. Unfortunately, there was still plenty of weight left.

"Ok, people, now we know the dog's gonna be fine we've got a case." Gibbs' no nonsense tone rang clear.

There was a collective gasp of "_no way" _ from Tony and Ziva that followed Gibbs out of the vets office. This one was going to be tough, it wasn't your standard murder enquiry, it was a case involving two members of his team, his family.

* * *

The team walked into the squad room and deposited their bags down on next to their desks. Gibbs had gone directly to the Director with his coffee to bat out the details that Abby and Tim had given him. Truth be told, he had nothing. No leads, no clues, hell, he had no idea why someone would be taking pot shots at his people. What he did know was that he wanted to get out there as soon as possible to hunt for the clues.

"Gibbs, there had better be a damn good reason why you have got me missing the opportunity to spend the day with my family. Sunday's pretty much the only time with them I have."

Leon had come straight from home, but hadn't bothered to dress in his usual snappy suits. He looked odd somehow standing there in Jeans and a polo shirt, but this didn't seem to faze Gibbs as he explained the events leading up to them being in the office on their 'off duty' weekend.

"McGee and Abby were shot at in the park, Leon. The shooter hit McGee's dog."

Vance pondered the short statement for a moment.

"Ok, and I'm guessing you want to take your team out there. Gibbs, I can put another team on this, yours is too close to this."

"Go it in one Leon, and I don't want another team working it. I can leave McGee at his desk, but I want the best. My people were shot at!"

Leon moved over to his desk and sat down slowly.

"Take your team. You think McGee's going to be left behind without an argument, because I sure as hell don't. Make sure he's wearing a vest. Second thoughts make sure you're all wearing vests, if there's someone out there taking pot shots at my agents, then I want you to have a fighting chance."

Gibbs nodded and stalked out of the office. Vance said McGee could go but he wasn't sure. First and foremost, Tim was Gibbs' responsibility. He'd feel safer with Tim tucked safely away in the secure confines of NCIS.

The walk to the squad room was short and he stalked over to his desk to grab his weapon and badge out of the drawer. He was amused to find Tony and Ziva hovering round Tim's desk, trying to get information out of him about his date.

"Gear up, Tony you're driving." Gibbs announced to the trio.

Tony walked over and grabbed his back pack before catching the keys that Gibbs threw at him.

"Where we going, Boss?" Tony asked in confusion.

"Anacostia, McGee's shooting is the case. McGee! You're stayin here. you got me?"

"No, Boss! Absolutely not! I'm coming with you. The chances are, the shooter is long gone now anyway." Tim fought back.

Gibbs thought back to the directors comments and sighed heavily. He picked up Tim's vest and threw it forcefully at him.

"That's the condition of you coming McGee, You even think to argue about it and you will stay here. Clear?"

Tim fingered the Kevlar vest and ripped open the Velcro so he could slip it over his t-shirt.

"Crystal, Boss."

"Good, in fact. DiNozzo, David. You're wearing vests too!"

He smiled at the collective 'No way' and walked over to the elevator to wait for his agents to catch him up. He didn't have to wait long before his team joined him in his small, unofficial office.

"So, Probie, what base did you get to last night then?" Tony asked in his normal sense of nosy humor. He knew his Probie was upset and wanted to snap him out of it, even if it was risking a head slap from the boss.

_*THWACK*_

"Thanks, Boss."

Tim couldn't help but grin at the normality of the action and Tony's warped gratitude at having his head slapped. He was still grinning when he reached the car, but stopped when he remembered exactly why they were going to the park in the first place; the memories themselves were still raw as he climbed in the car and threatened to overwhelm him slightly.

"McGee. No matter what, you stick close to the team out there." Gibbs ordered quietly as they drove out of the Navy Yard.

A feeling of sheer dread washed over Tim at Gibbs' concern, so he did the only thing he could at that moment, he nodded sullenly at his boss and willed the day to finally end.

* * *

All the park was quiet. A few hours had passed since the incident and so, on 1.30 PM on a Sunday afternoon, the team found themselves working the crime scene. Tim was standing in exactly the same spot that they had been lazily, enjoying the afternoon and stared down at the blood that was smeared in the green grass. Sighing heavily, he stood and looked towards river.

"Penny for em' McGee."

Tim was completely lost in thought and was staring blankly at the water. It wasn't until he felt a heavy hand rest on his shoulder that he was pulled out of his reverie; he looked behind him and saw his boss standing there with a furrowed brow of concern.

"Boss?"

"What's on your mind, McGee?" Gibbs asked quietly.

Tony had already grabbed his gear and headed to his assigned stretch of the park to search for clues, he had starting working pretty much as soon as they'd gotten there, this situation had bought with it a fierce determination within the team and that made Gibbs proud. He watched as Ziva began asking people what they'd seen, if anything. She was a full 100 yards away from the picnic spot already.

Tim realized that it was just the two of them standing there, and so he let go of what was bothering him, freely and honestly; after all, you didn't get many chances like this with Gibbs.

"Can I ask you something?" the younger agent quietly asked his boss, his heart clearly in his tone.

"I'm listening." His boss reassured him.

"Your first reaction when I told you there was a problem, why was it that I had already screwed things up with Abby?"

Gibbs sighed in frustration and shook his head.

"What would _you _have thought? McGee, if you were in my shoes, what would have been your first thought?"

Tim thought about it for a moment and realised that he probably would have drawn the same conclusion.

"Good point. It' just, Boss, last night was amazing. We had dinner, we went to a concert and we talked, really talked, you know. This morning we came for a picnic to finish the weekend off perfectly and it all went to hell." Tim paused briefly and frowned. "It's just, hearing that your first thought was that I'd screwed it up stung, like you'd already lost......Crap!"

Tim's gaze fell back to the point in front of him, he seemed to be completely lost in his own mind and that in itself worried Gibbs.

"What is it, McGee?"

"There was no bullet, so it has to be her somewhere. Boss, Jethro was grazed not shot. The bullet should be here somewhere but...." Tim stopped talking and left his sentence hanging in the air.

" What's the problem, McGee?"

"The water. I know the rough direction of the shooter based on where Jethro was and where he was hit. There are two options right now, if the bullet was slowed by the hit, then it maybe a case of it being in the trees. If it wasn't then it's in the water and any evidence has been washed away."

Gibbs nodded sullenly and called Tony over.

"DiNozzo! Go with McGee to find the bullet." Gibbs started to walk towards Ziva to help her and left Tim standing there waiting for Tony.

Tony came running over and grinned broadly at Tim.

"Just me and you, Probie. Where to?"

"The trees over near the riverbank. The chances of finding the slug are slim to none Tony."

Tony huffed out a chuckle and stared off into the trees.

"Jeez McRecusant, have some faith, will ya?" he waited for Tim to turn his attention to him. "Ambition should be made of sterner stuff, Probie "

Tim frowned at the quote that Tony had just used. He knew what it was but couldn't quite put his finger on it. Tony saw the confusion and laughed loudly.

"Julius Caesar, my good old dad used to quote it all the time. In other words, quit with the negativity and have faith. I mean sure, it's not gonna be easy and we might find nada, but it's worth the try." The smile on Tony's face seemed to do the trick and Tim felt a sharp smack on his shoulder before watching Tony move on towards the river. Tim followed with a slightly lighter heart knowing that between them, they had a fighting chance.

************

Gibbs and Ziva had finished with their questioning and walked towards Tim and Tony who were painstakingly scouring the area for the bullet, he stopped to watch his two agents who were bickering lightly. He leaned against the tree to listen.

"Tony, for Pete's sake would you quit it!"

"I'm just saying McGee. You know how you get when you fall victim to the dreaded _poison ivy."_

Gibbs laughed at the emphasis on 'poison Ivy' and turned his head slightly . He caught something out of the corner of his eye and whistled to his agents. He hadn't noticed the fact that Tim was moving in the opposite direction and pointed to the tree. Ziva and Tony looked followed the pointing finger expectantly before locking onto the object of Gibbs' interest. Tony's jaw dropped. There it was, as plain as day. The bullet had embedded itself in the outer layer of the tree and sat with the bottom glinting in the daylight.

"Damn, Boss, we've been looking for that little bugger for over an hour!"

"Ya think DiNozzo. Bag and tag it. Ziva, Tim, you're with me." Gibbs started to walk away but was stopped by Ziva's confident voice shouting him back.

"Gibbs, McGee is not here."

He stopped and looked around, there was no sight of his agent but managed to stop Tony with a glare. Tony carried on what he was doing and left his boss and team mate to look for Tim. He finally managed to gouge the bullet out of the tree dropped it into one of the evidence containers they carried with them.

Gibbs and Ziva searched through the trees but didn't have to look far, Tim was standing in front of a tree and they watched as his hand reached out to pull something off the trunk.

"Hey! McGee, I thought I told you to stay close."

Gibbs quickly walked towards Tim but picked up the pace when his agent turned and his face lost all color. He watched with horror as Tim's knees buckled beneath him, sending him crashing to the gound. Luckily, by then Gibbs had reached him and was able to catch his agent to ease Tim's descent in a way that he didn't get hurt by the fast approaching ground.

"McGee!" Gibbs' heart was in his throat, to him, the way Tim had gone down was exactly the same way he'd seen numerous agents fall when they'd been shot. He glanced around first and then down to his agent, to his relief there was no blood and come to think of it, there wasn't that ominous crack of a gunshot either.

"Tim, what is it?" the concern in Gibbs' voice managed to reach through whatever had caused this reaction in his agent, whatever it was, was enough for the young man to react suddenly,

"Bbb..Boss, this was pinned to the tree." Tim handed him the photograph that had been planted on the tree and started to tremble. Gibbs' hold on his young agent's shoulder got tighter and tighter when he looked down at the image before him.

Sitting in Gibbs' hand, was a photo of Tim and Abby at the concert they had gone to last night, they were hugging amidst a sea of people who had been faded using some kind of photo editing software. Written across the two figures in bold, black print were the words:

"_You're Next Agent McGee!!!"_


	15. Chapter 15

Gibbs gazed at the photo before silently handing it off to Ziva.

"Benzona!"

Ziva's transition into Hebrew was a sure fire sign of how pissed off she really was. The team had cajoled her long ago, into translating the words so they could understand exactly what it was that their multilingual team mate was saying. Gibbs nodded in agreement and pushed Tim's head down low in an effort to stem the panic that he could see steadily rising. Ziva was right; whoever had left this was truly a _son of a bitch._

She grasped the photo angrily in her clenched fist before she bagged and tagged it in an evidence bag. She stuffed it in her bag angrily and joined Gibbs in helping Tim up off the ground so he could sit on the nearby bench.

Tim felt his boss' hands hook under his arms and let himself be helped gently off the dewy grass. He was vaguely aware of being led somewhere and when he saw the bench he simply refused to sit; He had never felt so vulnerable and more like a target than he did now and so, with a fierce determination, he began walking back to the car. Gibbs and Ziva saw that his gait was rigid with the fear and anger he was feeling and realized that, right now, they needed to be there for him in order to support him through this difficult turn of events.

Tim's rising anger lengthened his stride and Ziva had to speed up to keep up with him. She had the unyielding desire to talk to her friend right now and would run to the ends of the earth to do it, if she didn't nothing more than offer than muted words of support to help lift that rock that had settled in his heart, then she would do it.

Gibbs locked his eyes on his retreating Agent, he had never seen him this upset out in the field before, hell, he'd never seem him upset like this period. Tim was always the mild mannered member of the team and usually managed to keep a hold on his emotions. He decided to follow closely enough behind that he was able to hear what he and Ziva were saying.

"McGee, we will catch this person. You know that." Ziva's tone was solid like concrete and the unwavering tone offered a certainty that Tim was sure to have lost.

"I know, Ziva. It's just…" Tim answered miserably.

"It's just what, McGee?" Ziva pushed, she knew that if she didn't, McGee would retreat into himself.

Tim shook his head and threw his bag in the trunk with enough force that Ziva wouldn't have been surprised to see it laying on the concrete floor where it had shot straight through the hole it created on landing. She thanked her lucky stars that, for once, Tim's backpack didn't hold the breakable equipment.

With his eyes still on his obviously upset agent, Gibbs silently walked up to Tony's side of the car and was intent on telling him something but as Tim silently took his place in the back and morosely stared out the window, Gibbs knew he wouldn't have the chance just yet.

"Hey, McRomeo, this wasn't exactly how you planned your date ending was it?" Tony tried to joke without bothering to even look at Tim.

_Thwack_

"Ow!! Thanks, Boss, didn't realize you were here already."

"Enough, Tony." Gibbs said quietly whilst letting his eyes wander back to his younger agent in the back seat_._

Tony took the hint and when he noticed the look on Gibbs' face, he dropped the humor. He turned his head to finally look at his Probie for himself. His teammate was obviously upset and sat there with his body taunt with tension; Tim's hands sat in his lap and were clenched so hard that that his knuckles and fingers were white with the effort of keeping his death grip on himself. Tony watched Tim with a look of sheer confusion and saw the thunderous look on the normally serene face. _Wait a minute! Why did Probie look as through eh wanted to kill someone? What the hell had he missed?_

As Tony looked first to Gibbs and then twisted around to look to Ziva for the answer to his questions, Ziva reached into her bag and pulled out the photograph. She silently handed over and scrutinized his face as he was bought up to speed with the whole nightmarish situation. She watched her friend's reaction intently as Tony reacted to the photo with a similar look of shock and fear on his face.

Tony was about to say something to Tim but he caught a slight movement out of the corner of his eye and turned his head back to look at his boss. He couldn't help but catch Gibbs' silent, sharp warning that told him to keep his mouth shut and nodded his understanding as the boss finally climbed inand started the car.

The ride back to the Navy Yard was quiet and the atmosphere in the sedan was emotionally charged. Gibbs was concerned, that in itself was obvious but he hadn't yet figured out what exactly it was about this situation that would bring Tim to this level of anger. The fact that something had was extremely unsettling.

Right now, Tony felt like scum. He hadn't meant to be spiteful to his Probie and thought Tim needed a dose of humor to help ground him after the day he'd had. He'd had no idea things had taken such a dangerous turn for his Probie though had an inkling that Ziva knew something was bothering McGee. It was obvious that Tim was in no mood to discuss how he was feeling or what he was thinking and that saddened Ziva. She was the last person to judge someone for not being able to say what was in their heart but her gut told her thatTim's thoughts were running rampantly wild and painful through his brain. Little did she know how right she was.

_He'd finally, FINALLY, gotten his personal life back on track, permission to date Abby, understanding from his boss and his new girlfriend. He'd been through too much not to take things slow and easy because he didn't want to be left holding the bag again. Why? Things were going great and what happens? He gets targeted in a way that's too dangerous to be around the one person he wanted to spend all his time with. He couldn't live with himself if something happened to her. Look what almost happened to his dog!_

_Why couldn't things ever go right with his love life? Wasn't he entitled to be happy? Apparently not. He didn't know how many more times his heart could take this and he already felt like he was walking on thin ice with his bruised and battered heart. He wasn't certain that it could take it anymore._

"McGee, call Ducky. Tell him we need him to meet us in the squad room."

Gibbs' voice pulled him slowly out of his reverie and sounded extra loud from behind that fog that had descended over Tim's mind. It took him a minute to pull himself completely from his miserable thoughts and struggled momentarily to fully comprehend his boss' instructions. Thankfully, Gibbs waited patiently for him finally grasp the instructions and do what he'd been told. Tim pulled his phone out to call the M.E. and hit the right speed dial number, the simple action using every last bit of concentration he had leaving him oblivious to the sounds of his boss issuing his orders to the rest of the team.

"Tony, call Abby, Tell her to warm up her babies because we're bringing them something to do. Ziva, soon as we get back, go with Tony to Abby's lab to take her the evidence and then both of you get to do a coffee and lunch run."

Gibbs sighed heavily at the silence in the car and thought about what would happen if his agents went barreling into the lab and let Abby in on the situation, he cringed at the thought and turned back to the two of them.

"When you reach Abby's lab, don't tell her about the photo, you got me?"

Tony and Ziva nodded their assent solemnly and sat quietly whilst Tim spoke to Ducky.

"_Timothy, what can I do for you?"_ Ducky answered his phone with a light tone and was obviously in as much of a jovial mood as he could be given the fact that some of the team had been shot at earlier.

"We're on our way in, Ducky. Gibbs wants you to meet us in the squad room." Tim said quietly causing Tony and Ziva to look at each other. They were both struck by the unusually quiet tone in Tim's voice, as their teammate answered Ducky's obvious question.

"No, Ducky. No one's hurt; we'll explain when we get there. See you in a few." Tim uncharacteristically snapped his phone shut before the call even ended causing the already raised eyebrows of his team mates, to shoot into their hairlines.

_Oh, yeah, this situation was seriously knocking McGee off his feet!_ Tony looked at Gibbs. He needed some kind of clarification that Gibbs had caught it, too. One look at the boss' face told Tony that there was a damn good reason for the man's silence and the reason was the fact that he was busy keeping his eye on McGee, that was, when he wasn't watching the road. The remaining trip was a silent one.

As they entered the squad room, Tony and Ziva immediately headed for the elevator that would take them down to Abby's and met Ducky as he stepped out.

"Ah, hello, you two. Running out, are we?" Ducky asked with a touch of humor intended to cut through the thick, strained air between the two agents.

When neither of the agents replied with their usual witty, sharp replies, Ducky stopped dead to scrutinize the two of them.

"I do realize something is wrong, that was made evident by Timothy's tone when I spoke with him a few moments ago. Judging by your expressions, it must be serious."

"Gibbs is waiting to fill you in, Ducky." Tony replied quietly. Ducky frowned when he heard that same low, hushed tone that Tim had used earlier.

"Of course." Ducky said and continued on to the squad room with a feeling of doom settling heavy in his chest.

"Jethro, you wanted to see me? Timothy sounded upset on the phone, what on earth seems to be the trouble?"

Gibbs glanced at Tim, who had silently moved to his desk and at down. He had begun working pretty much straight away on something. This worried Gibbs, since all they had been doing when they left on Friday was cold cases, and the files were locked away in the filing cabinet. _What is he working on? _Tim's body language screamed fear and anger and that was one thing that unsettled the team leader. Tim had never let his emotions surface like this, sure he'd been snippy with Tony, and he'd been withdrawn when he was under review for his first shooting…..but this?

This was different, this was just wrong. The sheer power behind every movement; the hard banging away at the keys on his board with his shaking hands; this wasn't Tim and shed the fact that he was now a target, into a completely different light. His body language still spoke of his intense anger and even fear.

Gibbs nodded his head curtly to the elevator and moved over to the place that had soon become his own private refuge and was now lovingly known as his 'conference room'. Ducky understood, his dear friend was obviously unwilling to have this conversation in front of Tim and so he followed behind, quietly hoping that whatever had unnerved his family wasn't nearly as bad as they made out.

"Jethro, this is a bit extreme." Ducky remarked tightly, he had always hated the fact that Gibbs seemed to like the confines of the elevator.

Gibbs silently handed the M.E. the bagged and tagged photograph and waited patiently for Ducky's response. A couple of seconds later he watched as Ducky's eyebrows furrowed.

"Oh dear heavens!" Ducky exclaimed in horror. "No wonder the poor boy is upset!"

"Ducky, I need you to help us break this to Abby. We need her to process it but I don't wanna hit her with it out of the blue."

"Certainly Jethro, though I don't think I'd be much help with her, you are the only person that seems to be able to calm her down."

Jethro snorted and reached over to flick the switch to get the elevator moving again. It stopped back at the squad room and they stepped out so Gibbs could grab something out of his drawer. Before they headed back, they paused briefly to check on Tim and both made a mental note of how his demeanor hadn't changed and neither had his activity level either. The bossman was glad, whatever he was working on; was keeping him occupied, though the anger didn't abate at all.

Gibbs and Ducky exchanged worried glances and continued back to the elevator to go see Abby. For some reason, the journey seemed to take a lifetime and when they finally got there, they were surprised to hear the forensic scientist's sobs that rang around the room. Gibbs scowled when he walked in to see Tony hugging Abby tightly with the support that she desperately needed. _I'll give them a head slap later _was the first thing that rolled around in Gibbs' mind but rather than jumping in feet first, he decided on a different tactic.

"Something happen?" Gibbs asked calmly.

"Something happen? Gibbs! You were there in the Vet's office! You know what happened! Poor Jethro was shot for absolutely no reason!" Abby exclaimed angrily.

Tony, Ziva and Gibbs exchanged meaningful looks but stayed silent, in a way, Gibbs was relieved that no revelations had been made just yet; it didn't make his job any easier though. Abby stood there, her face wet with the tears she had shed previously, and folded her arms, everyone was acting hinky and even Ducky had a strange look on his face_. Come to think of it, why was Ducky down here? _Abby soon cottoned on to the secrecy and fear that surrounded her surrogate family and crossed her arms with determination.

"What aren't you telling me? Where's Timmy? Do NOT tell me something happened to him!" Abby demanded with fear climbing into her tone and motions. The previous defiance of her crossed arms was replaced by the pacing, fretful Abby that, in any other circumstances, was kind of cute. Every time she turned and walked towards them, they could see that her eyes wide with fright as they jumped from Ducky to Gibbs and then over to Ziva and Tony.

Gibbs glanced at Ducky but the M.E. had already turned his attention fully to Abby.

"Abigail, Timothy is fine, but unfortunately, there does seem to be a reason as to why this has happened." The M.E. told her gently. He had managed to still her movements with a gentle hand on her arm and was currently looking softly at her.

"What's going on?" Abby asked fearfully.

Gibbs held out the photograph and was pleased to see that Ducky had now placed his hand on Abby's shoulder. Tony and Ziva had also moved close and were supporting Abby in their own special way, Tony had his hand resting on her other shoulder and Ziva, in an uncharacteristic show of support, had weaved her small hand through Abby's. Gibbs felt a wave of affection at the support that his people were showing and waited for his girl's other, shaking hand to take the evidence bag from him. She looked at the photo and stood there gaping like a fish out of water.

"OH NO! Timmy!" Abby's strangled cry escaped as her knees buckled. Tony was thankfully quick and had managed to grab her round the waist to hold her up. Gibbs rolled her desk chair over to her and stepped back so Ducky could take care of her. Once Ducky was satisfied he stepped back to make room for Gibbs; who crouched in front of the distraught Goth. He turned his head slightly so that he could address his agents, knowing full well that the best way for him to deal with Abby right now, was alone.

"Tony, Ziva, go on; go get lunch." Gibbs quietly directed and waited for them to nod their assent and head out. He turned his attention back to Abby.

"Abbs, we need you on this."

Abby took a deep, steadying breath and stoically stood up.

"Where's Tim? If he's okay, why isn't he down here Gibbs?"

"He's already looking for suspects, Abby. He's busy." Gibbs told her in the no nonsense tone that let everyone know he was telling the truth and was serious. Abby was pretty much the only person who could ever doubt or see through Gibbs, she seemed to be empathetic to a fault, and could pretty much read him like an open book.

"What aren't you telling me, Gibbs?" the lab rat demanded.

"He's upset, Abby. Let's leave it at that and give him some space to breathe and work." The boss directed firmly.

"Of course he's upset, Gibbs! His dog was shot at and he finds out that he's the target of this sicko!"

"Abby, I think you will find that those are not the reasons behind Timothy being upset." Ducky advised quietly. "However, you must ask him yourself to get his reasons though I'm sure he will tell you anyway when he's ready, my dear."

Gibbs looked at his friend and knew that there was nothing any of them could do but work the case. He turned to Abby and kissed her on the cheek before stepping back and glaring at the M.E.

"Abby, get crackin!" Gibbs ordered "And keep it together. If you need help, ask." Gibbs softened his tone as he advised her; kissing her cheek again before leaving the lab.

Tim had given up on his searches and escaped to the men's room leaving their work area empty and strangely silent. Tony and Ziva walked out of the elevator and split to go to their separate desks, before heading out to get lunch. They both simultaneously paused when they noticed how much of a mess McGee's desk was. Several open files littered the surface of it, while his two computer screens flashed and jumped with random searches pulling out the information that he had so desperately searched for.

"Tony, what do you think he is working on?" Ziva asked more out of concern than for the sake of being nosey.

"Dunno, Ziva. C'mon, we need to get movin' or Gibbs' will have our asses." Tony said and grabbed his wallet out of his locked drawer. Ziva bent down low to pick up her bag and the two of them headed out. Tony knew Tim needed to keep his head in the game and having the two of them giving him the 3rd degree about anything wasn't gonna help him do that.

As they walked to the car, Ziva pushed for the answers that she knew Tony was keeping from her.

"Tony, you know why McGee would be so upset about this. Do not tell me it is because his dog was shot at because we both know that is not the reason."

"I don't know for sure, Ziva. All I have are possibilities and I'm gonna try to talk to him after work. I don't wanna get him in trouble with Gibbs for not keeping his head on straight."

"Okay. I expect to be informed when you do discover the reason, yes?" Ziva demanded forcefully. Tony huffed out a small laugh at her brazen demand and shook his head.

"Sure Zee. I'll tell you. BUT, only if he doesn't ask me to keep it to myself."

Gibbs and Ducky arrived back in the squad room to find it ominously empty. He knew where Tony and Ziva had gone which left only one of his agents missing and he was fairly certain that he knew exactly where he was. He decided to let Tim be for the time being and encouraged Ducky to put his profiling skills to the test about what kind of person who would want to do this to his agent.

By the time, Ducky and Gibbs had finished discussing the case, Tony and Ziva had returned bearing lunch and coffee for everyone, they had been gone for the better part of 40 minutes and the fact that Tim had not yet returned to the squad room had Gibbs' gut twisting with alarm.

"Probie's still not back at his desk? He was gone when we came up here before we left. Where is he, Boss?" Tony asked with concern as he placed Tim's favorite Chinese food on his desk.

Gibbs looked around at his team and stood up from his chair to silently walk to the head to check on Tim. Ziva had followed him partway, but had veered off towards the elevator to take Abby her lunch and to check whether her wayward friend was down there with her. 10 minutes later, she was back and reported Abby's complaints back to everyone. Apparently the Goth was agitated about the fact that Timmy hadn't been down to see her since they returned from the park. The fact that Tim wasn't there chilled everyone to the bone and the atmosphere in the squad room darkened heavily. Tony had called down to the front desk to see if Tim had left the building and found out that he hadn't so they knew he had to be at NCIS somewhere. The burning question was _where?_

Gibbs was getting seriously concerned now and pulled out his cell to call his missing agent. He couldn't help the small sigh of relief that escaped him when his call was answered, though that relief was short lived and replaced, once again, by worry when he listened to the voice on the other end. Tim's voice was different somehow and didn't sound like it belonged to the young agent who had gone from strength to strength over the years.

"Boss?"

"McGee. Where are you?"

"Sorry, Boss, I'll be there in a minute."

"It's ok McGee. Tell me where you are and I'll come to you." Gibbs directed calmly. He knew this young man wasn't ready to be met with the interrogations that his team would throw at him and knew from personal experience that, if Tim was upset enough to disappear like this in the middle of the day, something was seriously wrong.

"Please, Boss. I'm on my way. I promise." Tim said and hung up the phone before his boss could answer. He really didn't want his new found sanctuary to be invaded and he sure as hell didn't feel ready to talk to Gibbs about this. He'd lost track of time, damn it! He hadn't meant to be gone for so long but had gotten caught up in his thoughts and the peace and quiet he'd found in the midst of the Agency. He'd finally found a modicum of peace and had relished it.

Tim was true to his word and returned to his desk a few minutes later and silently sat down at his desk without looking at any of his team. The realization that he really needed to speak to Abby had hit him like a ton of bricks on his way to the squad room, but if the truth be told, he was nowhere near ready to face her so he settled for emailing her instead.

_TO: Abby Scuito_

_CC:_

_BCC:_

_FROM: Timothy McGee_

_Subject: Sorry……_

_Abbs,_

_I'm really sorry I haven't been down to see you since we've gotten back. I've been busy trying to figure out who would want to do this. If I'm going to be honest with you, I'm too upset to face you right now because you read me so well and I would only cause you to be even more upset than I know you already are._

_Please, understand that I need to keep busy right now. I am sorry if my staying away from you while I try to work through this has hurt you. I didn't mean to do that._

_Love_

_Tim._

Tony silently read the email over Tim's shoulder. He was trying to stand as far back as he could and having read what Tim had typed to Abby, he quickly turned back to his own desk with concern climbing into his heart_. Since when did Probie openly admit he was upset about something? Well, he hadn't actually openly admitted it. It was, after all, a private email to his girlfriend. That was still private. But, still? What exactly was it that Tim was upset enough about to admit it?_

Gibbs left Tim alone and watched him pick at his lunch, the fact that he was barely eating concerned him and he looked over at Ducky. The look on the M.E.'s face spoke more than a thousand words, and he could tell that his friend was less than happy at Timothy's obvious lack of appetite. Ducky had stayed behind in the squad room to check Tim out on his return and Gibbs caught the look of pure concern that had come over that kindly face. Ducky shook his head and silently left the squad room because there was nothing that he could do about one of them not being hungry. It was obvious to all of them that Timothy knocked for a loop by the events of the morning and any undue attention to the situation would only make it worse for him.

Taking their cues from Ducky, Ziva and Tony dug into their own lunches with a false gusto, and soon got back into the normal swing of giving each other a hard time to try to lift the unnatural silence that had permeated the room; That, in part got a smile out of Tim and Tony couldn't help but grin broadly – _Mission accomplished_.

As the afternoon faded, the squad room was filled with the noises of them all working electronic trails and making phone calls. Throughout it all, Gibbs continued to keep an eye on his troubled youngest agent. They still needed to discuss the case. There was the little matter or protection detail for both Tim and Abby to talk about. An unexpected meeting took Gibbs out of the squad room for the remainder of the afternoon, and the silence that came with his absence had become almost unbearable.

Finally, Tony couldn't stand it anymore, he had to try to get his Probie to open up and get his woes off his chest. He sat back in his chair and clasped his hands round the back of his head. Turning to Tim, hoping that his relaxed body language would help Tim, he smiled encouragingly.

"Probie, I know you're upset. Talk to me." The Senior Field Agent encouraged with absolutely no trace of mockery or malice in his tone.

Tim stopped what he was doing and looked at Tony for the first time all day.

"I appreciate it, Tony, really, I do. I just would rather not talk about it right now." Tim answered in that continued subdued tone that had everyone worried.

"It's eating at'cha, even I can see that, Probie." Tony pushed gently.

"Doesn't matter, Tony. I have a job to do. There's nothing I can do about it till we figure out who this guy is." Tim replied monotonously.

"Okay. Well, you and Abby are still gonna go on your date, tonight, right?" Tony asked before he remembered he wasn't supposed to say anything at all about it, he at least had the good grace to look embarrassed about the question and couldn't help but silently accept the glare that Tim shot him in anger over it. The look in Tim's eyes changed suddenly, and looking away from Tony, he felt the immense sadness that had been feeing his anger all day return.

"No, Tony. We're not." Tim said solemnly.

"What?"

"Tony, do you really think I would put Abby in that kind of danger just so we can go out on a date? There's a psycho out there with me in his sights! There's no way, I'm taking that chance with Abby with a bulls eye plastered on my back!" Tim declared angrily as he got up and stormed out of the squad room.

"Well, that answers that." Tony said seriously and turned back to his computer feeling totally frustrated at having put his foot in it once again.

"Answers what, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as he entered the squad room.

"What's got Probie so pissed about this target on his back?"

"Yeah? Care to share your discovery with the rest of us?" the boss asked.

"He's pissed because he can't keep dating Abby while this dirt bag's got him in his sights."

"Already figured that was part of it, DiNozzo." Gibbs answered before he went back to his work, signaling the end of the conversation.

Tucked away in his sanctuary once again, Tim sat and thought about all the small events that had happened over the weekend – The guy barreling into him, the feeling Abby had of being watched, Abby's hinky phone calls, the guy at the coffee shop, Jethro………All of it, every single occurrence seemed linked, all of a sudden there were fine threads that intertwined the different harrowing events that had led to here. They can't all be linked, no way, there's no way that they are possibly linked, _are they?_

Sitting down on one of the steps, Tim's mind tried to fit all the different pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle that seemed to have the wrong shaped pieces, they just didn't fit, there was no one he could think of who harbored hatred towards him like this. He let his thought's overwhelm him and the anger flared in him dangerously leaving him feeling like he'd gone totally blind with rage. Hitting out, he punched the wall with the side of his right hand and only calmed down when the pain it caused bought him back to his senses. He gazed at the spot on his hand and sighed heavily, there was no way he could do this alone and he needed help, but from where? Who could he turn to? He could feel angry tears starting to sting his eyes, damn it! _I am not going to start blubbing now! Tears of anger or not, the day will not consume me_! Whilst he wasin the midst of his meltdown, his phone rang and without looking at the caller id, he hit the speaker button while clearing his throat in an attempt to drive away the hoarseness caused by his sudden breakdown.

"McGee." He said sharply into his phone.

"Tell me where you are, Tim" Gibbs unusual concern broke his control and he couldn't help the stream of words that came out of his mouth that betrayed his position.

Stairwell, one floor up." He said with an irritated tone he wouldn't usually use with his boss. Tim wasn't sure if his voice managed to stay steady and normal, but he seriously doubted it. Ending the call, he set his phone down and folded his arms on top of his knees in order to put his head down on his arms, he must have looked like the poster boy for sheer, abject misery and rage right about now, but he was past caring and waited for the person that he knew was coming.

Silently, Gibbs made his way down to Ducky. He'd overheard the exchange between his agents a few minutes ago and revelation had come as no surprise to him. The surprise had been the tone of voice that Tim had used. There had been the expected anger, but there had been something else too. Something he just couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Jethro, is something wrong?" Ducky asked in concern, he had changed into his scrubs and appeared to be taking inventory given the distinct lack of visors at _Hotel Ducky_ right now.

"Nothing new, Duck. McGee's disappeared again. At least this time I know where he is. What do you think is goin' on with him?"

"Jethro, I'm afraid this is most likely much more of a personal issue for the young man that even you or I can fully appreciate. Another setback, if you will, into being free of the dreadful incidents that have plagued him over the years. You simply need to recall our conversations with him on the subject to fully realize where his head might be at the moment."

"He told Tony he couldn't date Abby while this was unsolved."

"Of course he did. And he will adamantly refuse to be seen in public with her until this is solved. Timothy is a sensitive soul and will not do anything to risk Abigail's safety. That is quite possibly something else that is bothering him and this incident has darkened that precise part of who he is in other people's eyes; It's entirely possible of course, that this is what this perpetrator wishes." Ducky's words managed to confirm exactly what Gibbs thought and he nodded his understanding.

"Thanks, Duck." Gibbs said as he headed out towards Tim's hideout. It didn't take long for Gibbs to reach Tim's hideout and he silently approached his still agitated agent. _Oh yeah, Duck was right in the fact that, for Tim to be this upset, it was something else, something intensely personal._

"Hey." Gibbs said in a quiet tone, not wanting to scare his agent.

Tim's body was tense and shook as he sat there trying to calm his emotions down, he didn't often see red, but when he did he usually blew spectacularly. The feeling abated slightly and when he looked up and saw Gibbs was standing in front him, gazing down with a concerned look on his face. Breathing in through his nose and out of his mouth a few times, he looked away from that piercing gaze and felt the sheer embarrassment at being caught in this condition flush through his face knowing damn well he'd be beet red as well as an angry wreck. Tim refused to look Gibbs in the eyes and fixed his unfocused eyes on Gibbs' shirt.

"Talk to me." The boss said without giving any ill-regard to Tim's inability to look him in the eye. It was a rare enough occurrence and given the extenuating circumstances, Gibbs could forgive him just this once. Rather than feel the anger that he would usually feel over a situation where one of his agents wouldn't look him in the eye, he felt his concern deepen.

"I can't." Tim said harshly.

"Why not?" Gibbs asked.

"I need to get back to work. I shouldn't have disappeared again. I'm sorry, Boss. It won't happen again." Tim stood from his seat on the stairs but was met with resistance as Gibbs hand reached out and tugged him back down.

"McGee! Sit back down and talk to me, damn it!" Gibbs demanded.

"I can't Boss." Tim insisted as tried to get up from the step again. He swiped his hand through his hair, and tried to walk past his boss.

"Why can't you talk to me about what's got you so upset?" the boss asked quietly with a hint of hurt in his voice, he wanted his agents to be able to come to him and right now he was starting to feel like a complete failure in that department.

"Because I have to follow orders. I've already screwed up enough as it is." Tim said. "I'm probably already looking at a write-up."

"This is me you're talking to, remember? If I was gonna write you up; you'd have known about it already. What the hell are you talking about?"

"You told me to keep it out of the office. Guess I can't even do that right!" Tim said miserably as he managed to make his escape past Gibbs. He felt his gut clench as he strode away from his boss to force himself to go back to work. He just hoped everyone would have the decency to leave him in peace for the rest of the day.

_Once again, I've screwed it all up………._


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: This chapter was my co-writer, Shelbylou's brainchild. She's so awesome!_  
_I can only claim editor's credit for this one. _

_We hope you enjoy reading the ongoing adventure of our favorite couple._

* * *

Gibbs' agitated return to the office didn't go unnoticed by Tony and Ziva. It wasn't exactly an angry agitation, it was more a worried kind that the team soon come to recognise after the many cases they had solved that heavily involved one of his team. The two emotions were pretty closely linked though and it was only through their trained eyes, that they were able to ascertain how their boss was feeling.

Tony stood up and walked over to Tim's desk holding the mug of coffee that he had gotten for him when he decided the caffeine boost was needed all round.

"Hey Probie, thought you could do with a jolt. How're you doing?" The concern in Tony's voice was palpable to everyone on the team and Tim could almost feel everyone looking at him with anticipation of his answer.

"I'm all right, Tony; I just want this day to be over."

"Yeah, it's been a rough one, hasn't it Probie san? But, we're gonna get whoever's behind this, ok?"

Ziva glanced up at Tony's comforting tone and smiled. She loved her two team mates dearly and it was times like this that was guaranteed to pull them closer together.

"Yes, McGee, I believe we will not stop until we find them and tear then apart limb by limb." Ziva's eyes sparkled dangerously, Tim knew she was trying her hardest to soothe him but the Ex Mossad's training scared him sometimes, regardless.

"Thanks Ziva, but do you think we can keep it legal, there's too much paperwork involved if you rip their arms off." Tim's joke relieved the tension in the room slightly and made them all chuckle. Even Gibbs couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, we can do that but in the meantime, you know where we are. You got that, Tim?"

Tony's gentle tone did nothing to settle the fear that had taken root in the pit of Tim's stomach, but he had already lost his cool in front of his boss and didn't want to give a repeat performance in front of Tony. Showing emotion to his boss, well that was fine on rare occasions, because Gibbs wouldn't razz him about it, Tony on the other hand was known to take the worst situation and make a joke out of it.

"Thanks Tony. I know we're going to look into this but it doesn't stop me worrying."

"Aww, come on, Probielicious. We catch the guy, you and Abby have ho......Ow, thanks Boss."

Gibbs had known exactly where this conversation was going and decided that the best way forward was to be cutting Tony off the best way he knew how. Looking down he saw a smile briefly ghost Tim's face which lifted his heart slightly. He was about to reply when he heard the elevator ding and heard Tim sighed heavily at the sight of Abby storming across the squad room.

"TIMMY! Sorry I _had_ to see you; I just couldn't stay away for any longer and needed to know you are ok. You are ok? Aren't you?"

Tim stood up and walked over to Abby to pull her in for a tight embrace. He could feel the nervous energy that surrounded her like an aura and bent his head down low to whisper in her ear.

"I'm good, Abbs, don't worry I was just angry and didn't want you to see me like that." It was a lie, or at least half of it was. He really wasn't doing well and the anger and stress he was feeling was starting to make him feel both physically and emotionally drained. Tim desperately hoped Abby, in all her usual perception, didn't pick up on what he was feeling; praying she'd take him at his word instead.

Abby pulled away slightly and kissed him hard; it was the only way in which her mind would be settled at this specific moment in time so she grabbed the opportunity not caring about the guidelines that had been set down by the boss man. Breaking away, she turned to face the team. Tony and Ziva were staring at the pair with their jaws hanging loosely. Gibbs walked over to the both of them and placed his hand under their chin to push their mouths shut.

"Gibbs, the bullet that you found at Anacostia was a 9mm but that's just about all I can tell you. It was too smooshed by whatever it was buried in to get any definitive evidence off it.' Abby reported.

"Abbs, there's gotta be something else you can tell us. What kind of weapon was it fired from?" Tony's incredulous voice sailed across the squad room.

"Tony, I've told you this before. I can tell you what kind of bullet it is, I can tell you where it was manufactured, I can maybe tell you where it was sold, I can tell you _about_ the bullet but What I can't tell you is what weapon fired it!"

"Well then tell us where it was sold at least." Tony's 'dur' kind of tone elicited another firm smack to the back of his head.

_*Thwack*  
_

"Thanks, Boss!"

"I would Tony, but the problem is the fact that the markings on it are unreadable and can't be traced. Don't you listen?"

"Well yeah ,Abbs but...."

"But nothing, DiNozzo. Abbs, what about the photo?" Gibbs' couldn't hold his impatience any longer.

A cloud seemed to descend on the team instantly at the mention of the photo as Abby pulled it out of her lab coat pocket.

"I've checked for prints but it's clean. I can tell you it's been printed and not developed which makes sense seeing as it's been photo shopped."

"In English Abbs." Came Gibbs' quiet response.

"Sorry Gibbs, it's been doctored on a computer. You see how they've paled out the background leaving me and Tim in the foreground....Oh."

Tim wrapped his arm around her shoulders for support, though even he had to admit that this conversation was knocking him for a loop as well.

"Ok Abbs, I think you've done what you can and it's getting late. We're gonna call it day but you two are taking a protection detail; so McGee, you're with Tony. Abb's you go with Ziva. You two," Gibbs pointed to Tony and Ziva with a look on his face that told them he meant business. "Stay on your game. Keep your weapons with you at all times and don't let these two out of your sights. Clear?"

"Crystal, Boss."

"Of course, Gibbs."

The two responses that seemed to overlap slightly were just as serious and Gibbs watched as his team bustled about to grab their gear and coats

"And Abby? Let's not have a repeat of the last time you were under protection, hmm?"

"Gibbs!"

"Abby! I seriously doubt you really wanna piss Ziva off. She's already half-way there as it is."

"Oh, all right. I promise I'll behave!"

"Good girl. Now, get. All of you!"

"Not you Abbs, I'll walk you down to the lab. Ziva, Tony, McGee, meet us at the car park in 10."

They all nodded at their boss and watched as he walked Abby to the elevator knowing damn well that there was going to be one of his conferences involved. Tony turned to Tim and flashed his best grin.

"So McGoo, just me and you tonight, I'm thinking movie night with Pizza and beer, what do you think."

Tim groaned loudly, all he wanted to do was try to relax after the day he'd had but knew that there was no chance of that now. Looking up at tony, he tried to pull his facade back in place.

"Sounds good Tony, I need to pick up a few things first ok?"

"Sure. You ready?"

"Yeah."

The three team mates all walked towards the elevator, _this is going to be a long night_ was Tim's last thought before the doors slid shut.

Tim stopped off on the way to Tony's to pack a bag for the long night ahead. He decided to only pack a few things, enough for a couple of nights, hoping that they would catch a break and he'd soon be able to go back to the private confines of his own little apartment. He sat in his car waiting for Tony to pull up behind him before stepping out.

"What the hell, McGee? I lost you back there because you decided to break every speed law in the book." Tony saw the look of confusion flit across Tim's face. "McGoo, It's my job to protect you! You can't just speed off like that right now." The confused look soon changed to one of realisation and horror at what he had done before Tony could even continue on his rant.

"Sorry, Tony. I just wanted to get home."

"Yeah well, I can understand that but I don't want to have to explain to Gibbs, how it was that you killed yourself driving home ok."

Tim nodded and walked towards his apartment block to pick up some stuff. It didn't take long before they were walking down the hall towards the door to Tim's place and as they neared, they could see that the door had been left ajar. Pulling out their weapons, Tim and Tony started to edge forward but Tim was stopped by Tony's arm shooting out to stop him.

"Probie! Don't even think about it! Use your head!" He hissed angrily.

"Tony, if there is someone there...."

"MCGEE! They have named and shamed you in their little quest to do whatever it is they do. If they're in there then I'm not gonna let you just walk in like the damn target they've painted on your ass! Just wait here!" Tony looked sternly at Tim before moving towards the door and pushing it open slightly.

He was standing just off to the side and glanced in sweeping his weapon around the room before moving in. A couple of minutes later, Tim heard his friend shout "Clear."

Walking in tentatively, he stopped just inside the door. What he saw made his breath catch in his throat and he felt as though he was paralyzed to the spot he stood.

"McGee, close the door, you're a sitting duck in the doorway." Tony could see Tim's eyes clear as realisation hit him.

"Oh crap. Tony." Tim was in shock; his apartment had been completely demolished and he could see nothing but total destruction wherever he looked. There wasn't one thing in this living room that had escaped the damage. His computers had been reduced to nothing but shattered circuitry and exposed wires. Even his precious record and book collections had been trashed; torn pages and broken vinyl littered the living room floor and furniture. Tony was concerned and walked over to Tim to get his friend to move quickly. He placed his hand on Tim's shoulder to offer comfort.

"McGee. Tim, look at me."

Tony waited for the shocked young agent to turn his attention to him.

"Grab your bag and I'll call Gibbs. There's nothing we can do here, so come on, Probie, shake those tail feathers and grab your gear. Hey, you with me, buddy?" Tony was concerned; Tim's face had drained of all color, leaving him looking ashen. Tim nodded and slowly moved to the bedroom to grab what he needed.

Tony could see Tim surveying the damage on the way, but had to admire the fact that his Probie had remembered his training and was being careful not to touch anything in case he disturbed any evidence. Tim was only gone a short 5 minutes and walked out as Tony snapped his phone shut as Tim walked out.

"Gibbs said to take you straight to my place; he's gonna get another team to come here with him. Come on, Probie." He ushered Tim out closed the door thanking his lucky stars that the mechanism hadn't been damaged.

Tim was sitting on Tony's large comfortable leather couch feeling more than a little bit dejected about the events that led up to this precise moment in time. Tony was being fantastic and had guided Tim to the spare bedroom to dump his stuff in there before showing him where the shower was.

"How was the shower Probie, you feelin' any better?"

Tim nodded and accepted the beer that Tony handed out to him.

"Yeah, thanks for this, Tony, I really appreciate it." Tim's monotone voice gave evidence to the shock he was still feeling.

"Hey, what are friends for?" Tony's head snapped round at the knock on the door and he grabbed his gun before walking over to look through the peephole. He turned to look at Tim who had shot bolt upright and had palmed his own weapon ready. Tony held out his hand and shook his head. "It's just the pizza, Probie. It's safe; this guy delivers here all the time."

Tony put the gun back in its holster and opened the door with his 100 kilowatt smile. "Hi Frankie, here you go, keep the change." He paid for the food and stopped off at the kitchen to grab some plates and more bottles of beer.

Tim leaned forward and snagged a slice of the pizza out of the box, 10 minutes later, that very same slice was still sitting untouched.

"You've gotta eat, McGee. Come on, don't do this to yourself." He watched as Tim took another swig of beer before setting it aside.

"I'm not very hungry right now, Tony, sorry."

"Huh, can't argue with that, but what I can do is listen. Talk to me." Tony reached over and pulled the empty bottle out of Tim's hands before replacing it with another full one.

"Thanks. I don't know what to say Tony." Tim looked forlorn but his deep sincerity cut through.

"It'll help to talk."

"You know Gibbs gave his permission for me and Abby to see other. We had a really good time going out last night and today at the park was nice, just the two of us. Finally, after all the crap I've been through, I was actually enjoying the idea of building this relationship."

Tony nodded; he really didn't want to interrupt Tim now, not once he'd finally started to open up to him.

"It just all went to crap. I never noticed the little things that kept happening because they were so damn minor, but they're all linked Tony, every single one of them. None of us believe in coincidence, but even if we did; there's no way these aren't linked."

"It sounds that way, but maybe some of them _were_ coincidental?"

Tim raised the bottle to his lips and took a long, hard swig. Tony could almost see the thought processes that were swirling around in Tim's mind though didn't like the fact that he seemed to lock them away the way he did. No matter what, Tony was going to get Probie to talk tonight.

"Go on."

"Why does it always happen to me Tony? Seriously, what is so wrong with me that things like this keep happening?" The question was innocent enough; it was raw and was now, finally out there.

"It doesn't keep happening McGee, not this anyway. Hey, it's not like I've ever settled down is it."

"No, but at least you haven't had girlfriends who want to kill you or as soon as things look up, something; someone decides to knock you back down again. All my relationships have gone to crap Tony, you can't deny that. Hell, you've had more than your fair share of making fun of me with it! I bet even you've lost count by now! I know I sure as hell have!"

Tony didn't know what to say, Tim had a point and all his relationships had gone to pot over years but this thing with Abby was different. I mean sure, he'd been pissed that Gibbs could give his permission for them to date and not to him and Ziva, but ultimately he'd known since the first time they'd dated, that they were meant to be together. And he'd had to admit that Gibbs' reasoning made sense. That had served to dull his anger about it.

"This is different Probie, you and Abby are meant to be together." He frowned at Tim's harsh, sarcastic laugh.

"That a fact Tony? If I carry on this way, then I'm going to get her hurt or worst, Killed. I've got a huge target on my back and I can't afford for Abby to be part of that."

"So what? You just back away from her? You leave her hanging? You said yourself, how much you enjoyed your time with her, so don't screw it up over some whack job." He didn't mean to be sharp but knew that it was quite possibly the only way to get through to his friend.

"I know that Tony, don't you think I haven't thought about the fact that either way I work it I'm going to either hurt her or get her hurt. It's killing me Tony and I don't know what to do!"

Tony looked over at Tim and passed him another beer. Tim accepted it and took a large swig.

"I'll tell you what you are going to do. You're going to carry on as normal, Probelicious, and you are going to let us deal with the creep that is after you. You concentrate on you and Abbs, ok?"

"You don't understand, Tony." Tim said morosely.

"What don't I understand, Probie?"

"Gibbs' will never trust me with her again after this."

"You're worryin' too much, Probie."

Tim sat still for a silent minute before he settled back. There was a lot more he wanted to talk about, but for now, knowing that his team had his six and gave him and Abby their blessing lifted some of that heavy weight that had settled on his shoulders.

"Tony?" Tim settled back and glanced over at Tony.

"Hmm."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." The sincerity hit Tony like a sledgehammer. McGee had soon become more than his colleague and currently ran as his best friend and the kid brother he never had. He looked back at Tim and smiled.

"Anytime."

They both settled down to watch a film, it was a sure fire way to make Tim relax and give him a semblance of normality that was desperately needed after the day he'd had. Heck, Tony even let him pick the film and wasn't surprised when Tim chose Lord of the Rings. Sitting back, he propped his feet up on the coffee table and sat back to enjoy the film.

Even Tony had to admit, that despite seeing the film a grand total of 4 times, he had really enjoyed it. Once the credits started to roll, he looked around him and scowled at the sheer number of empty bottles that littered the small space around the two men. _Damn, did we really drink that much? _His question was answered when he stood to hit the head and felt the familiar feeling of drunken wooziness wash over him knowing that if he was in this state, his Probie was guaranteed to be a hell of a lot worse off. Glancing down at Tim, he chuckled at what he saw. Tim was sprawled out on the couch snoring loudly. His bladder protested so he tried to pull himself together and staggered to the bathroom to take care of business.

Tim woke up to hear a loud thumping on the front door and tried to stand. It took him a couple of attempts but he finally made it to his feet and swayed perilously before Tony's voice cut through the alcohol induced haze.

"Probie! You're up. Stay there, I'll get the door." Tim glanced up to see Tony staggering out of the kitchen holding a bottle of Tabasco sauce and a lemon.

"DiNo..DiNozzo Defrabu....Defri...De." Tim just couldn't say the word, he could think it, but saying it eluded him.

"Got it in one, McGoo, DiNozzo Defibrillator, guaranteed to knock the hangover we're gonna have in the morning on its ass." He opened the door without even looking and turned to look into the face of a very pissed off Ducky.

"TONY! For heaven's sake you are supposed to look before opening the door! Have you got no common sense, young man?"

Tony stepped back to let Ducky in and staggered hard into the wall dropping his hangover cure ingredients.

"Are you drunk? Young man, you are on protection detail and I'm deeply disappointed in you! Where's young Timothy." He looked up into Tony's totally abashed face and frowned when Tony pointed towards the couch. The floor and coffee table were littered with numerous empty bottles of beer and he could just make out Tim's head as it hung forward towards the man's chest. Ducky made his way over and prodded some of the bottles out of the way with his foot to make room for him to crouch down in front of Tim.

"Timothy, oh dear, what have you done to yourself, my dear boy." Ducky reached over and gently patted Tim's cheek.

"Come now Timothy, I've come to see how you are doing so can you wake up for me." He frowned when Tim groaned but didn't wake up; his young friend had moved beyond drunk right now and had gone all the way to passing out completely. Sighing, Ducky pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial to his dear friend.

"Ahh Jethro, I'm at Anthony's right now and think you may need to come over and relieve Tony of his protection detail."

"Duck, why what's happened. They all right?" Ducky cringed at the concern that dripped off of the simple statement. What he had to say was not going to go down well at all.

"Of a fashion. They may have indulged in a drink or two....."

"WHAT! Duck, are you telling me they're DRUNK?" Ducky pulled his phone away from his ear at the yelled words and glanced over towards the kitchen where Tony was swaying whilst trying to make his cure.

"It would appear that way Jet....." The phone went dead leaving no doubt in the Ducky's mind that the small apartment would soon be joined by an angry Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Tony staggered in and sank down heavily on the couch. He lazily motioned towards the kitchen and mumbled something that sounded like '_S'done.'._

Jethro opened the door to Tony's apartment and surveyed the damage, Ducky was sitting on the small coffee table trying to rouse Tim in order to get him to sip at a bottle of water. Tony was sitting on the other side of the couch and looked like he was asleep until Gibbs watched him turn his head unsteadily to look at him and wave.

"Gibbs! Come to join the party?"

"Damn it, DiNozzo, how the hell are you going to protect McGee like this? Why Tony?" Gibbs was angry, but most of all he was disappointed. He thought Tony had more sense than this.

"I got hiiimmm to talkkk, Boss, he needed to talkkk." The words were heavily slurred as Tony tried to explain. "He relaxshed and we wached a moviee!"

"And now he's comatose on the couch."

"Jethro, would you help me please, I need Timothy to drink some water because he's going to be severely dehydrated when he manages to sleep it off."

Gibbs sat to the side of Tim and roughly pulled him upright; the forward motion seemed to rouse Tim enough for the M.E. to get him to drink some water. No sooner had Tim had the water did he start to squirm.

"Crap, Duck get me a bowl would ya?" Ducky stood and practically ran to the kitchen to grab a bowl. He had barely made it back in time when Tim started to empty the meagre contents of his stomach. The lack of anything solid made Ducky frown heavily.

"Oh Timothy, you obviously haven't eaten much at all today. Jethro that would explain the state he is in."

"The beer would explain the state he's in Duck. Food didn't get him drunk."

"No, but the lack of didn't help. Anthony has already had a bottle of water and needs to go to bed. Can you do the honors?"

"He can stay out here, there's no way I'm carrying his sorry ass to the bedroom, Duck."

"Ok, but he does need to lie down and sleep it off, can you help me."

Between the two of them, they managed to get Tim situated in the chair whilst they removed Tony's shoes and trousers. It wasn't long before Tony was prone on the couch and snoring loud enough to wake the dead.

"Jethro, we can't leave Timothy here, he's a sitting duck."

"Not plannin' on it, Duck. He's coming with me. I'll need help getting him to the car, though."

They managed to get Tim to the car and a mere 30 minutes later saw Gibbs stripping his agent down and putting him to bed. He set out a bottle of water and some Tylenol on the bed side cabinet before moving towards the door and turning off the lights.

"Nothing's ever easy with you boys is it, McGee?" He threw the question out into the darkness and flipped the light switch off. He took on more look at Tim before closing the door and making his way downstairs to his living room to keep watch.


	17. Chapter 17

Gibbs sat in the kitchen nursing his first mug of coffee of the day. He was exhausted and between looking after Tim and not being able to sleep from being on edge, he was more than a little bit pissed off at the whole situation. He wasn't angry at Tim, how could he be, his agent was the victim in all this, he was angry at the fact that things had finally been going well for the kid and yet again, something came along and knocks him on his ass. He remembered the events of last night, the very events that led to him keeping Tim close so he could protect him; seemingly from himself as well as from the psycho currently gunning for him.

_Gibbs walked out of Tony's apartment block with Tim's arm slung over his shoulder and his arm firmly around that now trim waist. The kid was trying to help, but the fact remained, Tim was no use to anyone in his current state and was being more of a hindrance than a help. Ducky moved forward to open the door to Gibbs' sedan._

"_Thanks Duck. Tim. C'mon, one foot in front of the other, that's it. MCGEE! Would ya give me a break already?" Gibbs' harsh tone had little effect which wasn't surprising given the amount of alcohol that trudged through his agents system at the moment._

"_Jethro, don't be harsh on the boy. It's been a stressful time and Anthony did get him to talk a little bit."_

_Gibbs huffed out a sarcastic laugh. "Shame he couldn't get him to walk too, Duck."_

_He hoisted Tim into the passenger seat and buckled the seatbelt firmly around Tim's waist. "McGee, you throw up in here and you're on clean up duty in the morning. Hangover or not!"_

_Ducky chuckled and pulled out the bottle that Anthony had left on the coffee table for Timothy. He handed it over once Gibbs had finished buckling his inebriated agent into the car and smiled ruefully when his friend took it with a scowl._

_"What's this?"_

"_Ah, well I believe it's the 'DiNozzo defibrillator'. Young Anthony swears by it after a hard night out on the tiles."_

"_Yeah. I've seen him knock a few back and will admit it does seem to make 'em feel a bit better. I'll try to get Tim to drink some in the mornin' because he's never been good with alcohol." Gibbs was looking through the window of the car to his sleeping agent and couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. "Wonder how much he'll remember. Maybe I should pull a DiNozzo and take his photo to show Abby."_

"_Don't you dare, Jethro! He won't be in any fit state tomorrow as it is and the last thing you should be doing is taking pictures to embarrass him with! I'm going to stop off at home to pick up a vitamin B injection and will be over soon to administer it. It won't make him feel better, but will replenish some of the vitamins he's lost on this binge."_

"_And DiNozzo?"_

"_Anthony's a little bit more....shall we say seasoned in this kind of thing. He'll be fine but if it makes you feel better I'll tend to him once I've finished with Timothy."_

"_Thanks, Duck."_

_Gibbs stepped into the car and started the ignition; he gave Tim one more glance and pulled away carefully so as not to jostle his passed out young agent. _

_The drive home was uneventful with nothing so much as a snort interrupting Tim's sleep. Gibbs had to admit to being mildly amused at their antics, he just wished Tim didn't have a target attached to him right now because the chances of either or his agents defending themselves in their current states were slim to none. One thing was for sure, he'd be reaming Tony a new on in the morning. He pulled up outside his house and got out to move round to Tim. Crouching down at the open car door, he reached in and unbuckled the young man before tapping his face cautiously._

"_McGee, c'mon rise and shine."_

_Tim stirred but didn't wake up eliciting a groan of frustration from Gibbs. What could he say, desperate times called for desperate measures._

"_MCGEE, GEAR UP WE'VE GOT A CASE!" His barked command did the trick and he watched with amusement as Tim sat bolt upright with bleary eyes and swayed dangerously in his seat._

"_Yeah, Bosshh!"_

"_C'mon, McGee, let's get you inside. You're gonna have to help me out here." His tone was gentle as if he was talking to a child which made Tim frown._

"_Gib...Boss. Where exactl..exa.." Gibbs chuckled slightly and held out his hand for Tim so he could offer him support and keep him from falling headlong onto the ground._

"_My house, McGee, ya think I'm lettin' you go home when you're on protection detail? Especially not in this state." Tim's phone started to ring so Gibbs reached into the pocket, easily avoiding Tim's uncoordinated hands as they tried to brush him away._

"_Knock it off will ya? Yeah Gibbs." He answered the phone and cringed when he heard Abby's voice trilling on the other end. By the sound of the music that was playing in the background, the girls were relaxing well enough; though he knew Ziva would be the one person he could rely on to be vigilant, there's something he never thought he would say, hell he thought he could trust all his agents to be vigilant, but Tim and Tony had proven him wrong in the biggest way._

"_Gibbs? Why are you answering Timmy's phone?"_

"_He's indisposed at the moment, Abbs."_

"_S'that Abbbyyy?. Gimmmee, Bosh." Abby heard Tim's slurred statement and Gibbs had to pull the phone the phone away from his ear at Abby's shriek._

"_TIMMY! GIBBS, IS HE OK?"_

"_Abby, calm down would'ya. He's fine, DiNozzo thought a beer or two would relax him and he's had a few too many. I'm gonna put him to bed and let him sleep it off."_

"_Where?" Abby's voice took in a twang of panic at the thought of Tim being left in Tony's hands._

"_My place. DiNozzo's in no fit state for protection detail right now."_

"_Lemme talk to him, Gibbs!"_

"_I don't think that's a good id..."_

"_Put. Him. On. The phone. NOW!" Abby was pissed, she'd originally rang up to say goodnight to Tim and thank him for the amazingly thoughtful weekend, despite it going to crap. Now she was just annoyed at the stupidity of him getting drunk. Gibbs passed the phone to his heavily swaying agent and pushed him back against the car for support._

_"Abbbbyyy. Hi bab..."_

"_Don't you' Hi Bab'y me, Timothy McGee! What were you thinking? You can't protect yourself in this state!"_

"_Absh. Not my fault. T'was only s'posed to be one but..."_

"_But nothing! You better be good for the boss man! Put him back on!" Abby's tone was angry, but it was a mask and she found the fact that Tim was atrociously drunk pretty funny. As soon as Gibbs had control of the phone, she burst into laughter._

"_Abby?"_

"_Ah come on, Gibbs, he's completely buzzed. It's the first time I've ever heard him like that."_

"_Crap, Abby you cannot be serious! It's not funny from where I'm standing." Gibbs was starting to feel frustrated_

"_Shh Gibbs, I want him to think I'm pissed at him." Gibbs was confused, he had no idea why Abby would want that but he played along anyway._

"_Why, he's not gonna remember it in the morning."_

"_Because it's so much fun when he's like this and don't worry, Timmy'll remember. G'night Gibbs, have fun, oh and keep him safe for me won't you?" With that she hung up the phone leaving Gibbs standing there with Tim, who was currently sliding down the car. He rushed over and grabbed Tim roughly under the arms to haul him into a standing position._

"_No you don't. C'mon on let's get you to bed."_

Tim woke up feeling as though every of moisture had been sucked right out of his mouth, he could still taste the beer and the bile from the endless throwing up what little he had in his stomach until he was dry heaving. He remembered someone being there, supporting him through it but his mind was hazy, he just couldn't quite remember......_Aw crap, it was the boss! _He sat bolt upright on the couch and winced as the late afternoon sun seared into his retina's.

"Mornin' sunshine. How's the head?" Gibbs was anything but quiet making the jackhammer in Tim's brain even louder and even more painful. He groaned and sank back against the pillows with his arm draped over his eyes.

"Yeah, thought you might feel like that. Here."

Tim sat up and accepted the two drinks that Gibbs held out, one was a large bottle of water and the other...

"Urghh, what is that?" Tim had taken a long hard swig of the cold drink in the glass.

"DiNozzo's personal hangover cure. He prepped some for ya last night. You wanna tell me what the hell you were thinking?"

Tim cringed as he knocked back the rest of the defibrillator and set the glass on the nightstand.

"Where am I?" Tim didn't recognise the room having dumped his stuff at Tony's ready for the night and was surprised to find himself waking up on a surprisingly comfortable couch.

"My place. You think I was gonna leave you and DiNozzo alone in the state the two of you were in? You haven't answered my question." Gibbs watched as Tim painfully scanned the room and could almost pinpoint the exact point in time when the young man recognised the familiar, bland room.

Tim's shook his head but thought better of it as the pain increased tenfold. Gibbs reached out and handed Tim a small bottle of Tylenol.

"Thanks. It wasn't supposed to get that bad, we had pizza and a beer and then we watched a movie. Guess we had a few more beers than we thought." He ran his hand through his hair and cringed at how grungy it felt.

"Don't lie to me, McGee." The quiet statement shocked him, he hadn't lied to his boss, or at least he hadn't thought he had. He squinted harshly as if trying to recall exactly what had happened last night.

"You didn't eat a damn thing which is why you spent the better part of last night dry heaving. What's goin' on Tim?"

Tim knew he'd been made, but still felt the need to be strong in front of his boss. There was no way he was gonna show any more weakness seeing as the man had trusted him to keep his personal and work life separate.

"Nothing, the pizza had anchovies on it and I don't like 'em. I just didn't eat it because they taint the cheese."

"Huh, that a fact? You know you could have asked DiNozzo for a sandwich. You didn't eat lunch either."

This was not going well, every time he came up with a reason, the boss deflected with something else.

"Didn't want to impose and things were kind of crazy at work, Boss. There's nothing going on, It was all just a mistake and we didn't realise how much we were drinking." He was feeling ill and his head was pounding. The third degree from his boss was doing nothing to settle his nerves about the situation. He winced when he felt a sore spot on his arm.

"Ducky gave you a vit B shot but you started to struggle a bit. You want some breakfast?"

"Not really but I know I should eat something. Can I just have some toast, please?" Tim knew anything more would result in his stomach revolting horribly against him. Just as Gibbs was walking out the room Tim remembered Jethro.

"Er Boss. I need to go pick Jethro up from the Vets today. I'm guessing my cars still at Tony's and I was wondering whether you'd be able to give me a lift?"

"Yeah McGee, that's fine. We need to shoot across to your apartment anyway to get some more of your stuff so we can pick him up on the way back." Gibbs saw Tim's face darken at the mention of his apartment and moved back to the chair in the room.

"McGee, Balboa's team went through it with a fine tooth comb and collected some evidence for Abby to process."

Tim nodded slightly and swallowed hard before asking the question that was on his mind.

"They were at my place, Boss, they knew where I live. Everything that I worked hard for has been smashed up. Why? What's the point of it all?"

"I don't know Tim, but we'll help you clear your apartment once we found whoever is doing this, ok?"

"Yeah, thanks. What did they find Boss?" Tim's curiosity was peaking, he found that the more information he was given, the more he wanted to know.

"Muddy footprints on your rug, fingerprints, the usual." He was being evasive, there wasn't that much evidence but the two big things they did find had been left sitting next to Tim's typewriter.

"What aren't you telling me, Boss?" Tim knew there was something amiss and decided to push the issue.

"There was a bullet sitting next to your typewriter. It was wrapped in a black ribbon."

"And?"

"You know the picture we found at Anacostia?" he waited for Tim to nod. "There was another one, this time of you and Abby walking out of the restaurant. It didn't have anything written on it but it was torn straight down the middle between you and Abbs. They placed a knife on top of it, Tim, with the point directly over your heart."

Tim inhaled sharply at the news and tried his hardest to suppress the feelings of fear and panic that washed over him. Leaning his head back against the back of the couch, Tim closed his eyes and willed his emotions and his knee-jerk response, back to where they came from. He refused to allow himself to show any additional weakness. He'd screwed up enough and Gibbs was already pissed at him. He didn't know how much more of the man's ire he could take.

With a voice that he hoped didn't betray his emotions; he addressed his boss without moving his head or even opening his eyes, feeling too sick, both physically and at heart at what this was doing to both his and Abby's lives, to worry about perfect manners right now.

"So, we're no closer than yesterday."

Gibbs frowned at the exasperated sounding tone that his Agent had adopted. It was uncharacteristic but by his book, totally understandable.

"Hey, look at me." Gibbs waited for Tim to turn his gaze to him. "you ok?"

Tim lifted his head up and looked at his boss, unaware that his emotions resided in his eyes, as usual; he did what he thought was needed; he bluffed his way out of the question.

"I'm ok boss, really. We knew this nut job was after me before this so it doesn't really count."

Gibbs clamped his hand firmly on Tim's shoulder and stood up.

"All right, but if you need to talk you know where I am."

Tim couldn't resist and plastered on his best smile.

"The basement?" That comment earned him a head slap and a grin from his boss.

_Oh yeah _he thought _that's one bullet dodged for now._


	18. Chapter 18

Tim sat in Gibbs' living room feeling sick and totally miserable, it was enough to make him heavily regret letting Tony ply him with beer though he had to admit, it felt good being able to talk the way they did. He sat staring at his hands and was startled when a mug of steaming hot coffee, prepared the way he liked it, appeared in front of him. He looked up and saw Gibbs standing there with his offering and accepted it gratefully.

"Thanks, Boss." He tried to inject as much enthusiasm as he could into his answer but it just wasn't there.

"No problem. Here." Gibbs held out the small bottle of Tylenol again and smiled at the relieved, grateful look on Tim's face. It had been a couple of hours since Tim had taken anything for his hang over but that pained, pinched look remained, signaling one hell of a headache.

"That bad huh?"

"Hmm. I swear I'm never drinking again."

"Yeah? Ya said that last time, but don't worry about it. Might wanna call Abbs though." Gibbs smiled knowingly at Tim and almost laughed out loud at the look of horror and fear that shot through those big green eyes.

"Wha...Boss what did I do?"

"You don't remember?" Ok, he was teasing now, but after last night and the rough conversation this morning he guessed he'd earned it.

"Come on, Boss, what happened?" Tim was panicking now, he wanted to stay strong and show Gibbs that he could really face up to whatever was thrown at him, but the prospect of screwing up because he was drunk really tore at him.

"Hey, calm down, McGee! You didn't do anything. I'm just yanking your chain, if anything she found your slurred conversation funny."

"Aww crap, I'm gonna go call her." He made to get up but was held fast by Gibbs' hand on his arm.

"Look, go shower, get changed and we'll go pick Jethro up from the vets. We'll go see Abby afterwards, ok?"

Tim nodded and stood up to move towards the stairs. He paused when he realised he had no idea where Gibbs had dumped his pack....If Gibbs had picked up his pack.

"Er, Boss..."

"Guest bedroom, you know where it is. You're gear's in there and there are clean towels in the bathroom. For the record, you need to make yourself comfortable because you're gonna be here till this is sorted out, you got that?"

Tim nodded slowly.

"Thanks, Boss." His gratitude was sincere and he was eternally grateful to his boss at this very moment. He felt safe and secure in the knowledge that his boss didn't hold last night against him and would help him through. He just hoped he could live up to Gibbs' expectations that he could really make Abby happy. With that thought, he moved up stairs thinking about his amazing time with Abbs, silently vowing along the way, that no matter what he would make her happy; even if he had to wait until this psycho was caught and dealt with first.

Gibbs walked with Tim into the vet's office silently. The older man was on high alert as he walked and kept his hand close to his weapon. He knew for a fact his Agent felt uncomfortable walking into the Veterinary hospital wearing a Kevlar vest, but it provided him with a modicum of security that if they were to be gunned down, then at least Tim had a fighting chance. He remembered the conversation this morning and smiled ruefully at how overly optimistic and _young_ Tim could appear sometimes, even after all these years on the team.

_Flashback.........._

_Tim walked down the stairs wearing a pair of jeans and a black shirt, even Gibbs had to admit, that the man had been taking care of himself and __had managed quite well to maintain his slimmed down__ weight. He grinned broadly when Tim walked into the kitchen and poured them both a mug of coffee, though he waited until __the young man__ was settled before handing over the vest._

"_Boss? You can't be serious!"_

"_Oh yeah, McGee, __**dead**__ serious." The underlying meaning to that word stung and Tim cursed his stupidity._

_"Ok, I'll wear it, but only if you do too, Boss. This guy is after me and seems hell bent on taking whoever I'm with down alongside me." Tim didn't mean to undermine his boss, but the fact that he was a walking target made him uneasy._

"_You're not gonna back down from that one are you, McGee?" Gibbs was eyeing Tim warily as he tried to gauge the man's expressions._

"_No. __You really think I could live with myself if something happened to you because this guy's gunning for me but he gets you instead?."_

_Gibbs moved over to Tim. The younger man flinched when he realised he was in danger of receiving a head slap and was relieved when Gibbs ruffled his hair affectionately like a father__, instead__._

"_Atta boy." Gibbs turned to grab the second vest he knew he'd need and put it on. It wasn't long before he was ready to leave. "What are you waiting for, McGee, get a move on."_

_Tim hustled and was ready in record time, it wasn't long before the two of them were in Gibbs' car on their way to pick Jethro up._

"Mr. McGee. I just need you to sign here and we'll get Jethro ready for you. Did you bring his leash with you?" The Nurse in the reception area was chipper as she handed Tim the paperwork for him to sign.

"Err, crap! It's in my car which is at a friend's apartment at the moment."

"There a problem McGee?" Gibbs came up to the desk thinking Tim had forgotten his wallet or something and laughed at how sheepish his agent looked right now.

"Yeah, I left Jethro's leash in my car."

Gibbs pulled a long, thick black leather leash out of his pocket.

"This what your lookin' for?" He watched as Tim's lips stuttered silently as if trying to find the right words. "Figured you'd need it so grabbed whatever was in your car."

"Well gentlemen, I'll take that and will go get Jethro for you." The nurse left with the leash leaving Tim standing there gaping like a fish.

"How....wha..Er, Boss? When did you grab that."

"When you were sleeping against my car window last night, McGee. Here's the nurse now."

The nurse appeared with an extremely wobbly looking German Shepherd. Jethro looked doleful and sorry for himself as he was led out on the leash that Gibbs had provided.

"Ok, here he is. Be careful of the wound and don't let him lick. We've put a collar on him but he doesn't really need it at all times as long as he leaves that area well alone. Here's his medications, he's got some antibiotics and some pain meds which will probably knock him out. He's a sweet dog, you're lucky."

Tim remembered his first meeting with his beloved dog and cringed slightly before answering.

"Yeah he is. Thanks for your help." He crouched down to stroke Jethro and let his dog nuzzle in close. "Hey boy, did you miss me?"

"McGee, we've gotta get out here." Gibbs reminded his agent quietly with the no nonsense tone he needed to get his point across.

"Right, Boss. Sorry." Tim said as he wasted no more time leading his pet out to the truck. . Can you take me over to Tony's so I can pick my car up?"

"McGee, you're car's fine where it is, we'll pick it up tomorrow because there is no way I'm lettin' you drive after drinking that much." There was no way in hell he wanted Tim driving right now given the amount of beer he had drank the night before knowing damn well his Agent would still be way over the limit.

"Fair enough. Can I at least stop off at a florist on the way to Ziva's because I want to pick Abby some flowers up?"

"Feelin' guilty McGee?"

"You have no idea." Tim chuckled loudly "What can I say, I'd like to try to limit the damage and I know for a fact Abb's loves getting flowers."

The two men settled Jethro into the backseat of Gibbs' truck. Apparently, there was one thing to be said about his boss, and that was the fact that he still trusted Tim to do the right thing by Abby.

As they headed toward Ziva's apartment to visit with Abby for a minute, Tim became noticibly withdrawn, almost to the point where Gibbs could have sworn the kid was now completely stressed out about something. Considering his computer brain was in all likelihood, coming back online by now, it was no surprise that he was beginning to process everything more clearly and in its' entirety.

"Something on your mind?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"I'm okay, Boss. Thanks, though." Tim answered with his head laid back against the seat and his eyes closed.

"You do realize that you're still a terrible liar?" Gibbs asked his agent dryly.

"I don't.. I can't... It's just..." Tim couldn't wrap his mouth around what he couldn't completely sort out in his head. There was just too much; fear, worry, anger, and other emotions, he couldn't even name; all running freely in his head.

"Relax, Tim. I get it. If and when you decide you're ready to talk..." Gibbs offered as he let him off the preverbial hook.

"Thanks, Boss." Tim replied as he respectfully looked into the older man's eyes.

For the remainder of the ride, the two were comfortably silent

Abby was sat next to Ziva on the couch drinking a large, hot mug of much needed Java, the blend was perfect and Ziva grinned at the purrs of sheer enjoyment coming from her friend.

"Do you like the coffee, Abby"

"Mmm, it's perfect Zee, where'd you get this?" Abby thought back to Gibbs and wondered whether she could get him some for his birthday.

"Israel. My father sends it over for me on a regular basis. It's good yes?"

Abby smiled at Ziva and nodded her head happily, making her black pigtails bob merrily.

"Oooh, yeah. Do you think he could send you extra next time because Gibbs would love this."

"I'm sure he will Abby...." She was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. She picked up her gun and walked cautiously towards the door and halted briefly to peek through the peep hole.

"It is Gibbs and McGee." She pulled away slightly to open the door.

"Hi Ziva, Abby in?" Grinning broadly she pointed to the couch and watched as Tim moved across the room holding a dozen long stemmed red roses behind his back. It was a romantic gesture that sent a pang of jealousy shooting through her.

"Ziva. That coffee I smell?" Gibbs pushed past her and made his way to the living room to sink down heavily in one of the chairs. He watched with amusement as Abby jumped up and wrapped her arms tightly around Tim in a bone crushing hug.

"Timmy. I missed you, how's the head feel?"

"It's fine Abbs, and I missed you too. Here, these are for you." He pulled the roses from behind his back and passed them over.

"Ooh, another gift, you know you really don't have to don't you. Not that I'm complaining or anything but this has got to be costing you a fortune." She sniffed at the roses and turned to carry them into the kitchen to grab another vase out of Ziva's cupboard.

Tim turned to his boss feeling totally lost and confused at Abby's comment. He hadn't bought her any more gifts, not since the date anyway.

Gibbs looked back at his agent, silently trying to reassuring him with his normal calming steady gaze, locking eyes with him until the younger man calmed down enough to breathe normally and continue asking questions.

"Abby, what other gifts?" Tim asked as he followed her into the kitchen and gaped at the two other large bouquets of flowers sitting on the table. "Where did these come from?"

He turned to the flowers and felt his gut clench when he spotted a bunch of black roses, each rose was adorned with a black ribbon, he thought back to the conversation he'd had with Gibbs about his apartment.

_"What aren't you telling me, Boss?"  
"There was a bullet sitting next to your typewriter. It was wrapped in a black ribbon."_

"Where did you get these, Abbs?" He was starting to sound panicked but knew for a fact he hadn't ordered the flowers, even if he had, it would have been a bunch of red ones despite her favouring the black, somehow it was more romantic.

"You sent them to me." She saw the look of fear that flashed across Tim's face and moved towards him. "You did send them, didn't you? Along with the other flowers and the chocolates?"

"Abb's, I didn't send these." He reached over and grabbed the card out of the flowers; being careful to grab only on the edge. Reading it made his gut broil.

_Abby_

_Black roses for a very special person_

That was it, the entire message laid out in one sentence. They were the words that he wanted to say, the words that he was holding back until things got better, but most of all, those words summed up exactly how he felt about his Goth..........._Very special person._

"BOSS! ZIVA!" He waited for them to join him "I didn't send these! Boss, is this the same kind of ribbon that was found in my apartment?"

"Crap, Abby, where did you get these?"

"They were delivered about an hour ago, Gibbs. Is there a problem? We thought they were from McGee." Ziva moved over to Abby and placed her small hand on her shoulder.

"I didn't send them, Ziva, I've been sick all day. We just picked Jethro and these flowers up not 30 minutes ago." Tim motioned to the red roses sitting in the vase. "You didn't eat any of the chocolates did you?"

"No. Timmy, I'm scared, where did they come from?" Abby moved away from Ziva and buried herself in Tim's tight hug.

"I don't know Abbs, but it's going to be all right. We'll figure it out."

"Ziva, get the flowers and the other gifts together because we need to take them in. Abbs, I'm going to need you at work processing everything, can you do that?" Gibbs tone softened when he addressed Abby, he knew damn well that she was on the verge of crumbling right now.

Abby nodded into Tim's shoulder and pulled back when Ziva sprang into action gathering the evidence.

"Gibbs, they knew I was here! How did they know that?"

"I don't know, Abbs but I intend to find out."

Once the flowers and the chocolates had all been gathered, the worried looking group headed out to the navy yard to try to make sense of the whole torrid situation. They were all walking towards Gibbs' car when a loud crack echoed through the buildings.

"Shot fired, get down!"

Gibbs pushed Abby down on the floor harshly and pulled out his sig sauer, he didn't have a clue as to the direction of the shot and brandished it sharply for a second. Another shot rang out loudly and Gibbs turned his defensive body slightly to shout out his orders, he was brought up short when he saw Tim collapse in a heap on the floor to the left of him.

**"Tim!"**  
**"McGee!"**  
**"Timmy!"**


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N This chapter was brilliantly written by Shelbylou.  
I'd like to dedicate this chapter to her hard work and dedication on all of our stories.  
A job well done!  
_

* * *

**_"Tim!"_**_  
_**_"McGee!"_**_  
_**_"Timmy!"_**

Gibbs gazed over at his unconscious agent before glancing around at the surrounding buildings, his gut was churning making him feel slightly nauseous but his protective instincts had kicked in and he found himself unable to move away from Abby. He felt Abby shift beneath him and pushed down harder to make sure she kept laying low.

**"Stay down Abby. Don't move! Got it?" **His hissed words had the desired effect and he felt Abby stop squirming.

**"Gibbs, Timmy! We've got to get to him, he needs help!" **

He frowned at her hysterical tone knowing damn well that there was no way to pacify her at the moment, not with a trigger happy gun man on the loose. He felt a hand on his shoulder and whirled round sharply wielding his weapon stiffly to keep his form. He exhaled loudly and looked up to see Ziva trying to get Ducky back down.

**"Damn it, Duck! I coulda' shot you!" **Gibbs' heart picked up the pace again making him feel slightly breathless**. "Get down! Don't any of you listen?"**

"There is nothing I can do to stop him from going to McGee, Gibbs. I believe the sniper has gone now." Ziva was pretty much standing behind Ducky swinging her weapon around from building to building with a controlled precision that let everyone know she was a professional and knew what she was doing.

"Jethro, I need to get to Timothy and need you to call for help. I don't like the fact he's unconscious and may need serious medical assistance."

Gibbs' did one more sweep with Ziva and holstered his weapon to pull out his cell phone to call for the medics and backup. Once that was done he reached down to Abby and signaled for her to get up and go help Ducky whilst he made one more phone call.

"_Very special agent DiNozzo." _

"Tony, now's not the time. Get over to Ziva's, now!" Gibbs' no nonsense, tense voice sparked a sharp pang of worry through Tony and he couldn't help the huff off a curse that fell from his lips.

"_What's goin' on Boss? Everyone ok?" _

"No, Tony, we've got a serious problem and I need you over here ASAP! You got that?"

"_Yeah, Boss. I'm on my way...Hey Boss?" He waited for the gruff Yeah before continuing "Everyone okay? You didn't answer before."_

"McGee's been hit by a sharpshooter, DiNozzo." Gibbs heard the sharp intake of breath and the sound of a door being slammed shut.

"_Boss, I'll be there in 5."_

Gibbs snapped his phone shut and rushed over to where Ducky, Ziva and Abby were crouched over Tim. Ducky was holding a gauze pad to the side of Tim's head and was muttering soft words to the unconscious man. He knelt down and placed a comforting arm around Abby before addressing Ducky.

"How's he doing, Duck?"

"The vest took the bullet, Jethro but he hit his head hard on the curb when he fell. At the very least he will have bruised ribs and a concussion, at worst...." Ducky cut his sentence short when he felt Tim stir slightly under his touch. "Timothy. Come on young man open your eyes."

All four of them watched as Tim fought the darkness that had enveloped him, it was hard to watch and Abby couldn't stifle her sob when she saw Tim's brow crease with pain.

"Hey, McGee! Come on wake up for me." Gibbs' voice was firm and authoritative and seemed to have the desired effect on his agent. He watched carefully as Tim slowly opened his eyes and winced heavily as the light assaulted his fragile eyes.

**"T..T..Timmy. You all right, I thought you were....Oh, Timmy!" **Gibbs held Abby back as she lurched forward to envelope his agent in a bone crushing hug.

**"**Abbs, you heard Ducky! He might have bruised ribs or worse, how 'bout you hold off on that for now." Abby nodded her understanding and picked Tim's hand up off the ground, holding it softly to provide comfort.

"Timothy, are you tracking me, dear boy?" Ducky was busy trying to assess the level of head injury Tim had suffered and was currently trying to check to see whether Tim's pupils were blown. "Timothy, can you even hear me?"

They all watched as Tim swallowed once and turned his gaze onto his boss.

"Boss?" His tone was soft and it was obvious that even the smallest movement was causing him pain.

"Yeah, McGee, you're gonna be all right, you got that?"

"Yeah, Boss.....Why'm I gonna be all right? What happened?" Ducky exchanged a worried look with Gibbs and was about to answer when Ziva jumped in.

"Shooter, McGee, you were shot in the chest and hit your head on the way down. You know, if you wanted our attention then there are better ways to do it."

**"ZIVA!" **Abby's screech sent shockwaves of pain though Tim's throbbing scull and it was all he could do to try to keep the nausea at bay. It was a losing battle though and he soon found himself flailing harshly to try to roll onto his side so he could throw up.

"Oh Timothy! Jethro is there an ambulance on its way because I fear the poor boy has a severe concussion that needs to be monitored closely." Ducky was currently supporting Tim on his side though the heavy heaving, it wasn't long before Tim's stomach settled enough for him to be able to be rolled back onto his back, the movement revealing another injury that was equally as painful. He let out a pitiful groan as he was settled back and the group were relieved to hear sirens blaring down the road.

Fifteen minutes had passed and Gibbs was walking over to the ambulance that the paramedic crew had settled Tim on a gurney. He had finally won the battle to travel with his agent after making sure that Ducky, Abby and Ziva would follow in his car.

_Flashback......_

"_Ziva, I'm gonna go with McGee, can you get Duck and Abby to the hospital. Take my car and we'll meet you there."_

**"_Gibbs! I want to go with Timmy, I need to know how he is!"_**

_"Abbs he's gonna be fine and the last thing the medics need is for you to lose your head in there." He knew damn well what Abby would be like and wanted the attention fully on his ailing agent._

**"_But Gibbs........"_**

**"_No Abby! Get in the car with Ziva and Duck and I'll meet you there. End of discussion!" _**_With that, he stalked off towards the ambulance to see how Tim was doing._

No sooner had he stepped into the waiting bus, the paramedics closed the doors and sped off on their journey to the hospital.

The ambulance arrived at the hospital and Gibbs was left standing in the middle of the ER as Tim was whisked away, he walked over to the desk and decided to take care of the admitting paperwork for his agent before moving to the waiting area to await the arrival of his team. They didn't take long, and the small waiting room was soon filled with 4 nervous people waiting for information. They had been sat there for a solid hour without a word passing between them.

Abby had taken to sitting close to Gibbs and always made sure she had some kind of contact with him as if to leech off any shred of comfort that the older man could offer. She was currently sitting quietly with her head on his shoulder but jumped when the door cracked open to reveal a dishevelled looking Tony DiNozzo.

"Boss, what's goin' on? Ducky called me and told me you were coming to Bethesda. Any news?"

"Not yet Tony. What took you so long?" Gibbs eyed his agent warily and hoped there was a damn good excuse for him being late.

"Traffic. Then as I pulled up to Zee's I got the call and had to turn back and come here. I saw Balboa's team working the scene and thought I'd check on how they were doing. Any news yet?"

"No DiNozzo, not yet but...."

"_W_ho's here for Timothy McGee." The small group all stood at the doctor's announcement and moved towards the tired looking ER resident.

"We are. My names Special Agent Gibbs and I'm his boss, this is Dr. Donald Mallard and he's Tim's physician."

The doctor seemed to know Ducky and smiled warmly at the M.E.

"Physician huh, Ducky? Thought you preferred it when they don't answer back?"

"Whilst that may be true my dear, someone has to look after this accident prone team." The two doctors laughed gently which acerbated Gibbs' frustration to a whole new level.

**"HEY! How 'bout we get to the point here! **How's my agent, Doc?"

"Of course, sorry ,. Timothy has suffered from a Grade 2 concussion and has a couple of cracked ribs where the bullet impacted his vest. He's a very lucky young man because if he hadn't been wearing Kevlar then he wouldn't have survived to tell the tale."

Gibbs nodded and shuddered slightly at the thought of the debate he'd had with Tim that morning. _If I hadn't insisted he wouldn't be here, that kids damn lucky._

"Can we see him?"

"Sure, he's being moved up to a private room at the moment but once he's settled you can go in a sit with him. He's pretty much lucid now but we want to keep our eye on him overnight."

"Lucid? He wasn't before?" Ducky had been concerned about the fact that it was taking Tim longer to regain his awareness than normal.

"Not fully, he was pretty out of it for a while and his responses were slow but he stabilised fairly quickly and we were able to get a CT done. Don't worry, nothing serious showed up but he's going to have one hell of a headache and will have to be woken up every couple of hours for the obligatory tests."

Gibbs decided he liked this doctor, she was upfront, honest and somehow had a knack to making people feel at ease.

"Can you let us know what room he's in."

The doctor nodded and left the room, leaving four incredibly relieved people in her wake.

The team entered Tim's room quietly not wanting to wake their friend. They were surprised to see Tim sitting up in bed with supportive bandage wrapped around his chest to support the ribs, watching TV peacefully. They noticed the pained, pinched look on his face and moved in to fill the chairs around the room.

"Timmy, how are you feeling?"

"Like I've gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. What happened?" Tim's confused tone worried Gibbs.

"You got shot by a sharpshooter, McGee, good job you were suited up or cracked ribs and a concussion would have been the least of your worries; ours, too."

"Shooter? Boss I don't re...I don't remember being shot."

Tony huffed out a laugh and leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees.

"Apparently you had an argument with the side walk. Needless to say the sidewalk won, Probielicious. How's the head?'

"Hurts." Tim's quiet admission didn't go amiss ad Ducky soon moved closer to visually assess his young friend. He knew they had him on an IV to replenish the fluids that he had lost due to his drinking binge the night before. He had to admit that Tim didn't look too bad, a little paler than he should be, he had dark circles underneath his eyes but all in all the only obvious, tell tale sign that anything was wrong was the pinched pain look on the young man's face and the heavy, supportive bandages around his chest.

"Timothy, they can't give you anything stronger than Tylenol at the moment because of the concussion. If the pain gets too bad you must tell us though."

"Thanks Ducky, I'm okay." Not realizing the real truth was evidenced on his face, he turned his attention to what lay heaviest on his mind. " Hey, Abby, who sent you the flowers?"

"I don't know. I mean, I thought they were from you but they weren't and the chocolates and the letters and the........." Abby floundered through her explanation, unknowingly upsetting Tim more.

"Abby! Calm down!" Gibbs hurried over to Tim who had pushed himself up to get to his girl. He was currently trying his hardest to swing his legs out of bed but a wave of dizziness assaulted him.

"Timothy, you will get back in that bed immediately and calm yourself. Abigail I'm not sure this is the right time." Ducky admonished both of them.

"Ducky, I need to know!" Tim's voice was a little bit stronger and he gazed at Abby with a firm resolve. "Abbs, chocolates and letters. They weren't from me."

Abby let out a strangled sob.

"They weren't? Timmy they were love letters and I just guessed they were from you but maybe I shouldn't have because it was too early...."

"Breathe, Abby, come on don't get upset. Come here." Tim held out his arm and waited for Abby to go to him. Once he had her in his grasp he pulled her in for a light hug. "I don't know what's going on Abbs, but we'll figure it out ok?"

"You're gonna work on getting better, Probie, we'll take the slack on this. Abbs, where are those letters?" Tony ordered.

"In my bag at Ziva's, Tony, I wanted to read them again so I packed them." She was mortified, the letter hadn't been from Tim and that fact hurt. She felt Tim's grip loosen slightly and glanced down at him, it was obvious that the sheer exhaustion had finally caught up with him and he was soon sleeping peacefully.

"DiNozzo, Ziva! Get over to Ziva's apartment and get those letters. I don't think Balboa will have picked up on them and I want them processed." His two agents nodded and left leaving Ducky and Abby standing by Tim's bedside.

"Abbs I need you to...."

"I'm staying, Gibbs."

"Abbs, you need to rest."

"I'm good and I'm staying!" Her firm resolve softened Gibbs slightly and so he turned to Ducky.

"Duck, go home and sleep. I'll call you in a couple of hours.

Ducky nodded and left the room without another word. Gibbs sat down and pulled a chair close so that Abby could sit next to him and take the comfort he had to offer. They soon settled into a comfortable position and sat watching Tim as he slept. Gibbs couldn't help but think about the letter and the other gifts that Abby had received and was hit suddenly by the realisation that someone had quite literally shot at that invisible target that was attached to Tim permanently. He couldn't help the thoughts that ran through his mind, knowing damn well that the answers were just slightly out of his reach.

_What the hell is going on? Who were the letters from? Damn, this runs deeper than I originally thought! Somehow, we gotta keep this from taking over this kid's life! He'll bury himself under _the_ ramifications of this if we let him._

Gibbs watched as Abby curled up on one of the chairs, he couldn't help but smile gently at the sight of his forensic scientist curled in on herself with her hand resting lightly over Tim' Abby succumbed to her body and mind's need for sleep, Gibbs stood and gently laid a spare blanket over her before starting the first of many concussion checks that the nurses had finally agreed to let him do. He moved over to the side of the bed and gently shook Tim awake, waiting patiently for Tim to open his eyes and finally track him.

"Wha…" came the sleepy reply.

"Hey, I need to ask you a few questions. How're you feeling?"

"Hurts, Boss."

"It'll be all right, I'll be quick and you can get back to sleepin'. What's your name?"

"Timothy McGee." Tim responded quickly and lucidly which seemed to lighten the load that had descended on Gibbs' shoulders given the circumstances.

"Good, Tim, can you tell me where you were before you got hit?"

"Abb…No Ziva'. I was at Ziva's and we were going to NCIS to take something to be processed." Gibbs knew he had to steer the conversation away from that topic as soon as possible so diverted his questions elsewhere.

"Tim, what's the name and breed of your dog?"

"Jethro….German Shepherd."

Gibbs noticed the slight hesitation and confusion in one of the questions so decided to ask another just to be on the safe side.

"Tim, what car do you drive?"

"Porsche Boxter. Boss, can I go to sleep now, please?" Tim's voice was slurring dangerously signaling the need for him to sleep.

"Yeah McGee, just relax ok, but I need to wake you up in a couple of hours again."

"Huh?"

"Relax, Go back to sleep." Gibbs gentle coaxing wasn't needed as Tim had already closed his eyes and soon shifted on into a relaxed, deep sleep.

Gibbs kept his vigil; quietly waking his agent up every two hours, just enough to do the necessary question/answer session to satisfy their need to keep him lucid.

The night passed without a hitch and Tim soon found himself being woken up for yet another concussion check. This time, he actually managed to stay awake throughout the questions and then for a while after. He glanced over at Abby and scooted further up in the bed, gasping when his bruised rib's pulled painfully.

"McGee?"

"I'm ok, Boss, I just moved wrong. She all right, I mean has she been there all the time?" Tim was worried, Abby didn't look comfortable and the fact that she was sound asleep heralded the fact that she would be stiff as hell.

"Yeah she did. Damn stubborn woman got me with my own glare!" He smiled slightly as his agent chuckled, the sound playing across the room like music.

"She's good at that, Boss. Did you find out about the flowers?"

"Not yet, McGee, but Balboa's team took them to headquarters so we should be able to get some evidence off them as soon as Abby can get back to the lab."

"When? Boss I wanna find out who's behind this soon." Tim was worried, he had a headache and his ribs ached unmercifully. Every movement made him want to curl up in a ball and try to drift off into that wonderful oblivion that would take the pain away.

"Soon, Your Doc came round just before you woke up and wants to do a quick check. If everything's ok, you and Abbs are gonna stay at my house where I can keep an eye on you both."

"Uh Boss, I don't think that's a goo…"

"In separate rooms, McGee!" Gibbs really wanted to laugh, he had no idea what his agent thought he was going to let the two youngsters get up to in his house and decided to cut it dead in it's tracks.

"Thanks, Boss. Jethro would love the backyard." There was something at the back of Tim's mind that nagged relentlessly and he soon realised that Jethro had been laying across the back seat of Gibbs' car when the shooter had hit. "Crap, Boss. Jethro was in your car. Is he all right? Where is he?"

Gibbs halted the bombardment of questions by holding up his hand and grinned to try to pacify his agent.

"He's fine McGee, he's bein' pampered by Ziva and DiNozzo as we speak. Listen, I wanna talk to you about what's going on because you're keeping something from me!"

"Boss, I've told you everything I know. I wouldn't keep anything from you." Tim's distaste for keeping secrets from Gibbs was apparent in his voice.

"Everything?" Gibbs asked anyway. He knew it seemed as though he doubted Tim's honesty, but he couldn't help himself; the need to have all the facts was pushing everything else out of focus.

"If there was anything else to tell you, I would have." Tim's voice was now hard with the rising emotions that Gibbs' doubt instilled in him, heavily compounding the pain he was already feeling. Without another word, Tim laid his head back and closed his eyes in frustration with both hands clenched into fists, his fingers curling in anger and other nameless emotions that were now swirling through his tired and not so pain-free brain.

As Gibbs watched Tim's reaction to his doubt; saw the pain he was still quietly dealing with while trying to work on the case and check on Abby; saw the pain that his doubt had brought up in his Agent; he couldn't help but feel a dose of regret for causing it. With a mental note to make it up to his agent after the case was solved; Gibbs turned to go so the kid could get some sleep.

A small, sleepy voice travelled over to the two men leaving Gibbs blinking owlishly at the huddled, blanketed figure as it tried to escape the clutches of the cover; and Tim staring over at her with disbelief etched in his face as his brain processed her words.

"Not everything. Gibbs, Timmy I'm really sorry but there's more."


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N: A great big "Well Done!" goes out to Shelbylou for this chapter._

* * *

Abby could feel herself trembling at her revelation and felt the fear of both her boyfriend's and surrogate father's reactions, rise uncomfortably from the deepest depth of her being. If she was going to be honest with the two men in her life, then she needed to convince them somehow that it was all innocent; that she hadn't been so naive that she didn't see the link that was so obviously there. She swallowed loudly in an effort to move the lump that had planted itself deep in her throat and pulled her knees up to her chest to try to keep out the cold that slowly crept over her.

Tim saw Abby's reaction and painfully hefted himself up onto one elbow in an effort to get into a position where he could both probe and comfort his girlfriend. The exertion caused him nothing but pain and suffering what with the excruciating pull on his ribs and the incessant pounding that soon had him clenching his jaw so as to hide the pain and get Abby to talk. His boss didn't miss a trick though and he soon felt a gentle tug on his shoulder as Gibbs carefully pulled him back and helped him settle on his back. The movement sent a wave of nausea rolling over him and left him feeling weak as a kitten, in pain and incredibly cold and sweaty.

Taking one look at his agent's pale, sweaty brow, Gibbs frowned deeply and used one of the tissues in the box to gently swipe at the perspiration that was starting to drip uncomfortably into Tim's eyes. The young man's actions were foolhardy and obviously affected him in such a way that had Gibbs reaching over for the call button to get Tim the relief that he so desperately needed.

"Boss, no! I need to..." Tim swallowed the bile that had risen back down before continuing "I need to know." The sincere concern in those pale green eyes was heart wrenching leaving Gibbs with no choice but to pull back his hand, only to lay it gently on Tim's shoulder.

"Ok, McGee, but you don't look so good so once were done here the Doc's gonna look you over." He waited for Tim's pained nod before setting his gaze upon Abby who was looking more and more like a deer caught in the headlights of his car.

"Abbs?"

"Gibbs, Timmy. I'm sorry! Oh God! I'm so, so sorry." Gibbs watched Abby with sheer curious concern as she pulled out the cross that hung round her neck. She didn't wear it often but he knew for a fact that it had been given to her by her beloved nuns and that the large cross tattoo on her back had been modelled on the beautifully crafted silver necklace that hung on a black ribbon.

"Abbs, please talk to me." Tim's shaky, weak voice seemed to boom through the quiet room and gave the loveable Goth the strength to uncurl herself gingerly. She stood up and moved toward the bed and lowered the rail so she could perch on the side and weave her fingers through Tim's.

"I got a phone call a couple of nights ago from a friend on New Orleans...."

_Flashback......._

_Abby was sitting on Ziva's couch wearing her black skull pyjamas and was carefully painting Ziva's toenails with a stunning maroon nail polish. _

"_...and would you believe, Tim actually got tickets for us to go see Brainmatter? Seriously Zee, it was amazing and you should've seen him shake his booty in the mosh pit."_

_Ziva chuckled loudly and couldn't help but admire Abby's precision at applying the lacquer._

"_McGee? Really Abby, I didn't have him clipped as a.." she clicked her fingers in an attempt to recall the correct phrase "Head banger! Yes that's it, head banger."_

"_Not all people head bang Ziva; it gives me a headache so I just dance. It was fun, oh and it's pegged."_

"_Sorry?"_

"_Pegged, you didn't have him pegged as a head banger." Abby had just finished applying the red to Ziva's little toe and slapped her friend's calf gently to let her know she was done._

"_Afterwards was wonderful, we left the concert and he took me home." Abby couldn't help laugh loudly at the glint in Ziva's eyes "Where we snuggled, put on a movie and fell asleep cuddling on my couch!"_

"_Semantics, Abigail. I will accept whatever you tell me." Abby loved this playful side to Ziva and threw her head back in mock frustration._

"_It's true Zee, I can honestly say Timmy was the perfect gentleman. Come on, he's not Tony! Can you see McGee taking advantage?"_

"_No I cannot, Abby and I am very happy for you both. Now, I have some very special hot chocolate that my Aunt sent over from Israel that is very indulgent and delicious. Would you like me to make some?"_

_Abby's phone started to ring and she barely got out the 'yes please' before looking at the display and answering._

"_Hey Lisa. I haven't heard from you for ages, How're you doing......Yeah I remember him......What? you're kidding, how? ......I don't know L, he was pretty messed up beforehand......I know......I'll be careful, you know me......Ha, I don't think he'd travel this far......yeah? ......I know and I miss you too, just be careful! OK......hey, I'll come visit, soon! I've got someone I want you to meet anyway......I'm not telling you over the phone but he's adorable like a puppy......Ok, thanks for letting me know......yeah, speak to you soon, I'll call you K...bye."_

_Abby hung up the phone and looked up to see Ziva standing over her holding a steaming mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings._

"_Is everything alright Abby?" Ziva had heard the conversation and could tell that all was not well with her friend._

"_Sure is Zee, is that for me? Ooh it looks so good." Abby's pigtails bobbed slightly as she squealed with delight over the hot chocolate. She considered calling Tim but knew for a fact that Tony had wanted to try to get him to open up and talk in a way that only a big brother could._

_Present time......_

"So Lisa rang to tell me that an ex boyfriend..._fiancé..._ of mine from way back when, had managed to escape from Community Care hospital."

"Community Care?" Gibbs asked guardedly.

"It's a psychiatric hospital Gibbs. He was a long term patient." Tim saw the flash of hurt that briefly clouded her pretty green eyes and pulled her hand up closer to his chest, ignoring the stab of pain that ran through him from the increased pressure.

"Abbs, hey, it's ok. you all right?" Tim waited for the slight nod before pressing further "What was up with him?"

Her gaze fell distant as the memories of his behaviour surfaced, the very behaviour that led to her breaking off the engagement and getting him the help he needed. She started to drift off and felt her mind slowly ride the tidal wave of memories that flooded into her head. She was pulled out of her reverie by Gibbs's hand on her shoulder and with a shake of her head she carried on.

"He started to act really weird, I ignored it for a while but it got worse and worse. He started to attention seek constantly in the most random ways and his emotions were so exaggerated that they were overbearing. He was jealous and wanted sex all the time. We carried on and I pandered to his every need and whim but he soon started doing things that were illegal and so out of character that I made him go to the doctors."

"After breaking up with him?" Gibbs watched as his surrogate daughter nodded sadly and melted into the hand that Tim had placed in the small of her back for support. She felt a wet trail snake down her face and swiped away the tears that had seemingly come from nowhere.

"The doctor sent him to see a psychiatrist but after a few sessions he seemed to get worse so the decision was made to admit him. He's been there ever since."

"What did the doctors say, Abby? What was wrong with him?" Tim was surprised by how easy it was for him to listen to Abby talk about someone else that was so close to his girl and found himself wishing his injured ribs would stop protesting long enough for him to pull her into a hug.

"They diagnosed him with two disorders which had apparently always been there but had been under control."

"Abbs, what was wrong with him?."

"Gibbs I'm not sure I want...."

"You're going to tell me, Abby, I don't care whether or not you don't want to talk about it. Take a good look at McGee and tell me; tell him that you don't want to know for sure that this guy isn't responsible!" Gibbs was using his authoritative voice as a ploy to keep Abby talking. He watched as she took a deep breath and carried on.

"APD and HPD. That's what they diagnosed."

"Abby, you need to be more specific baby." Tim knew the terms but the concussion was making it increasingly difficult for his mind to focus on the acronyms.

"Antisocial Personality Disorder and Histrionic Personality Disorder, Timmy. I'm sorry, I really didn't think anything of it because he was so loving and gently. I'm still not convinced Alex has anything to do with this."

"Then why bring it up? More to the point, why not come to me as soon as you knew? Didn't you learn anything the last time?"

"I'm sorry Gibbs, I didn't...I don't think Alex has got anything to do with this. It just doesn't fit!"

"You might not think so, Abby, but I'm not too sure. I'm gonna need the full name. McGee, your doc say when you can go home?" Tim was slightly surprised at his boss's sudden dismissal of the case but knew damn well that he'd be straight on the phone to Tony to run the background on the guy.

"No, Boss."

"Ok, I'm going to go find out how long you're here for and then I'm gonna go get coffee. You want anything?" He was met by two sheepish no's before heading out of the door towards the nursing station. The burst of activity had taken its toll on Tim ad he let his head loll to the side as his eyes drifted shut.

"Tim, can I ask you a question?" Tim smiled slightly.

"You just did!" came his quiet answer.

"No...Ok yeah I did but another question." She watched ruefully as Tim dragged his eyelids open and tried to focus on her.

"Do you think Alex has got something to do with all this?"

"I don't know Abbs, I don't really know the situation so can't come to any conclusions right now. That and the fact that my head is pounding and I can't think straight."

"I mean, I just can't see it. We were together for years and I knew he was quirky and slightly overbearing but I loved him and just can't imagine him...."

Abby's worried ramblings were starting to make his head pound painfully and each word was compounded by a throb that made the nausea roil harshly. He tightened his grip on her hand and tried to lean over as the heaving started. There wasn't enough time for Abby to grab the Emesis basin and so Tim threw up over the side of the bed and was left with an agonising burn as his ribs protested heavily against the torture. Abby started to panic and grabbed the call button to alert the nurses that Tim needed help.

"Hang on, Timmy, help's on the way. Tim, please just hold on!"

Tim heard Abby's words and felt her fingers card through his hair before succumbing to the darkness that crept eerily into his vision as the world faded from gray to black. It wasn't long before Abby's panicked plea's faded into the background and unconsciousness claimed his tortured mind, sending him spiralling into the oblivion that ebbed the pain away to almost nothing.

Gibbs was standing at the nurse's station talking to Tim's doctor when they were alerted to a call out to one of the patient's rooms.

"Maria, can you go and check on Agent McGee in room 20? He's due for his meds right about now anyway."

The doctor that had been talking to Gibbs turned to the nurse that was looking over Tim's chart and plucked it out of her hands.

"I've got this, Maria, I need to check on him, anyway." He turned to Gibbs and held out his hand to let Gibbs go first. As they were walking, they carried on with their discussion about Tim's health.

"So what's the prognosis, Doc? He gonna be ok?"

"He's going to be sore for a couple of weeks and will probably have a killer of a headache but he came through the neural checks well last night and his pupils are responsive. I don't think we need to keep him for much longer but I would like him to stay for a few more hours until I can be sure that there are no unforeseen complications."

"Ok, so where do we go from here?" Gibbs knew what had to be done but wanted to make sure all the bases were covered with his agent, especially seeing as he was going to be taking care of him at his house.

"Bed rest for a couple of days and then get him up and about. He needs time for his body to heal and even though the concussion will abate in a few days, the cracked ribs will take time and will make moving painful. Just make sure he takes his painkillers and takes it easy and he'll recover without a hitch."

Gibbs and the doctor reached Tim's room and froze momentarily when they heard Abby's cries as she tried to get Tim to respond. They rushed in and Gibbs pulled Abby off the bed to let the Doctor check over his unconscious agent.

"Agent McGee, can you hear me?" The doctor pulled out his penlight and shone it in Tim's eyes. Gibbs knew at that very moment that the prognosis wasn't going to be good by the deep frown that the doctor wore. "Agent McGee! Timothy, can you hear me. I need you to wake up now."

Gibbs pulled a struggling Abby out of the room and guided her to one of the chairs so he could push her down into it. He grabbed the top of her head and pushed it between her legs to try to halt the ensuing panic that was steadily rising in his girl.

"Abby, listen to me, HEY ABBS!" Gibbs waited for the sobs to die down before leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"McGee's tough and he's a fighter. He'll be ok." Abby pulled herself upright and looked him straight in those crystal blue eyes.

"You don't know that, Gibbs, what if he's worse than we thought, what if..."

"What if's are not going to help Tim right now so how about you channel some of that positive energy mumbo jumbo you like and work on helpin' him through this."

"I can't Gibbs. I'm so scared and don't know what to do. You didn't see him, he just started to throw up and then faded." Abby was sobbing and the memory of Tim being so ill played heavily on her heart.

"The doc's with him and wo..."

"Doctor! How is he, please let him be ok. He's ok right?"

The doctor had just walked over to the pair and slung his stethoscope over his neck before sitting down in the chair next to Abby. He was put under the spotlight by the two friends of his patient and could tell just by the looks on their faces, that they loved this man very much. He didn't know what to say so placed his hand over Abby's. Gibbs couldn't take it any longer and decided to urge the doctor on slightly.

"Hey, you wanna tell me what's goin' on with my agent, Doc?."


	21. Chapter 21

_A/N: A bit of a long chapter here.  
A bit of a different side of Tim here. Even Abby seems to be a bit off her game at this point.  
Stress can do strange things to people._

_Step inside to see what's going on with our couple._

* * *

The doctor turned towards Gibbs and put his hands out in front of him in an effort to calm the man down. He understood Gibbs' anger and frustration, especially seeing as Tim had been relatively fine when he had left.

"Mr Gibbs..."

"Agent Gibbs." Gibbs all but growled his title out to the young Doctor, it was strange because the title correction was an automatic thing that seemed to fall out of his mouth without him even thinking about it. He mentally kicked himself because all he cared about at this moment in time was finding out what the hell was wrong with his agent, not what the hell the doctor called him.

"Sorry, Agent Gibbs. Tim will be fine. He's reacted badly to the pain medication we gave him. Until the drug runs its course, he will more than likely feel weak, dizzy and extremely nauseous so we've given him a mild sedative to help him sleep off the meds. We'll be keeping a close eye on his progress. If he improves then we might release him in a couple of days."

Gibbs was looking at the doctor warily. He understood that the kid had reacted badly, he really did, but what he couldn't understand was why it took so long for the reaction to present itself in the first place.

"He's been here a couple of days now, Doc. Why'd the reaction take so long to show up?"

"We don't give strong meds with a concussion so he didn't get his first dose until recently. Has he reacted this way before?"

Abby shook her head but let Gibbs reply to the doctor's question knowing that if she spoke now, she may not be able to keep it together.

"McGee? Not that I know of but it's like pulling teeth getting him to take aspirin let alone anything stronger." Gibbs couldn't remember a single time when Tim had taken anything for a headache or his other injuries. Even when his shoulder was dislocated, he refused the meds in lieu of keeping a sharp mind..._Too bad DiNozzo didn't have that insight._

"Ahh, I see. Well it wasn't a severe reaction but between the concussion and the cracked ribs we'd like to keep an eye on him for a little while later. You can go back in if you want."

The doctor stood to leave, giving Abby and Gibbs the chance to go and sit with Tim. They entered the room pensively, not knowing what to expect from Tim, feeling a wave of relief at the sight of him sleeping peacefully. Abby went straight over to the side of the bed and pushed his hair away from his forehead lovingly before taking his hand and cradling it gently in her own as if it was made of the finest bone china. She was surprised when Tim lightly squeezed and looked down to see him looking at her with heavy lidded, glassy eyes. She moved forward slightly and smiled at him warmly before bending down and pecking him on the cheek.

"Timmy, hey. It's going to be ok. You'r_e _going to be ok." she said reassuringly whilst cupping his cheek to keep his attention focused solely on her.

"..by, wha..." Tim was groggy and felt as though every movement he took was being counteracted by some invisible force that threatened to pull him under at any moment. It took every effort he had to keep his eyes open, let alone do anything else.

"McGee! Go to sleep son and we'll talk when you wake up ok?" Gibbs stepped in and laid a hand gently on Tim's shoulder after seeing his agent struggle. He knew the kid needed sleep and wanted nothing more than to take him home where he could keep him safe.

"Boss, m'sorry."

"Don't apologise Tim. It's a sign of weakness." He watched as Tim's eyes seemed to get heavier and heavier and soon enough his agent's breathing evened out into the healing sleep he needed.

Tim was out for pretty much the full day, only dragging himself out of his sleep briefly when prompted by the nurses or the doctor for the obligatory tests that were needed. Gibbs noticed that whilst he was being woken up, he never really roused and was starting to get worried. Tim finally woke up in the small hours of the morning, looking more alert than he had done previously. Gibbs had been reading a newspaper that he had bought from the gift shop when he heard the small, pained moan that escaped Tim as he tried to get more comfortable and jarred his ribs.

"You back with us, McGee?" Gibbs stood up and moved to the bed, waiting patiently for Tim to track him. Once the large green eyes finally locked on, he reached over to grab the plastic cup off the nightstand. "Small sips, McGee. There you go, atta boy."

Tim smiled at his bosses ministrations and yawned.

"What happened?" Tim's voice was rough from sleep and discomfort making it sound almost painful when he talked.

"You had a reaction to the meds they gave you. You always had a problem with them?"

"Yeah." Tim's eyes started to droop but he caught himself and forced his eyes open again "Never been good with the strong stuff. Don't like taking them."

That statement made Gibbs balk slightly "Why didn't you tell me, McGee?"

"..S'in my records, …oss." Tim finally succumbed to sleep leaving Gibbs feeling slightly remorseful that there was something about one of his boys he didn't know. He glanced down at Tim's relaxed face and smiled ruefully at how young his agent looked.

"Gibbs." Abby's small voice travelled across the room. "He's asleep?"

"Yeah, Abbs. He's exhausted and still dopey." Abby nodded and moved closer to the bed. "Thought I told you to go with DiNozzo and Ziva."

"Couldn't sleep. I've been thinking about everything that happened and I really don't think Alex could do this. I mean sure, he's got issues but this? No way ,Gibbs!"

"You can't know that for sure, Abbs and I'm still gonna follow that lead."

"But Gibbs..."

"No Abby! I'm serious! I've already got Balboa's team working on it."

"Why Gibbs? You can't do this to Alex because he just needs help! He wouldn't purposely hurt anyone!"

"You can't know that, Abbs." He frowned when Tim shifted restlessly on the bed." Shh McGee, it's ok. You know what, Abby? We're not having this conversation now. If you stay, they you need to be quiet and let him get some rest. If you can't do that then you go to my place."

"I'm staying." Gibbs nodded at Abby's quiet, obstinate tone and settled back in the chair to continue his vigil. He couldn't help the pang of worry, knowing that something wasn't right. First his agent get's shot and now he reacts to a drug that was listed in his records as something he couldn't tolerate and shouldn't have been administered..._something's just not right._

* * *

Tim had finally, _mercifully,_been released from the hospital and was trying to get dressed. He was thwarted a few times when his movements either sent shooting pains across his chest or made him feel too dizzy to continue. Abby walked in whilst he was trying to lift his foot to put his socks on and rushed over to him.

"NO! Timmy let me." Abby reached down and pulled Tim's foot forward so she could roll his sock onto him. It had taken the majority of the day for the pain killer to completely purge Tim's system and her boyfriend had dutifully refused anything else to help him with the constant pain that plagued him, it was relentless and left him feeling drained and exhausted. He gasped as the movement of moving his foot jarred his tender ribs but stayed quiet as Abby tended to his needs.

"Ok, you're good to go." Abby had just finished tying Tim's shoelaces and stood up. Tim held out his hand for her and sat rubbing his thumb over her soft skin when she laced her fingers through his own long digits.

"So, we've got a camp out at the bosses eh?" He smiled at Abby's excited stance and watched with fascination s her pigtails bobbed with every movement she made.

"Yeah, it'll be fun, Timmy. Just me, you, Jethro..."

"And the boss!" Tim watched as she giggled at his mock exasperation.

"Of course, he lives there, Timmy."

Tim couldn't help but grin at Abby but sobered quickly when the burning question he had been itching to ask her moved to the forefront of his mind.

"Abbs, how do you know Alex isn't behind all this?"

"I just know, Timmy. He's not dangerous, just angry and confused. He wouldn't do it to me." The statement was heartfelt and sent a shiver of jealousy shooting through Tim. He shook it off at about the same time as he shook his head.

"We don't know that. You know Gibbs is just doing his job right?"

"He's looking in the wrong places, McGee!"

"McGee? What the hell, Abbs, come on! I'm not gonna get into a pissing match over this; I just want you to realise that Gibbs will be exploring every avenue."

"You don't think I know that? Look! I was with this guy for years! He was my first true love so I think that makes me more qualified to know exactly what he's capable of and THIS. ISN'T. IT!" She was being completely unreasonable and knew damn well what she was doing.

It was almost as if this guy still held a special spot in her heart and that hurt more than the physical injuries that he had sustained. Tim struggled to understand exactly why she would be defending Alex so passionately when he was the here and now, the victim of some whack job that seemed hellbent on hurting him or.._and..._Abby. He was about to snap a reply when Gibbs walked in pushing a wheelchair; effectively ending the skirmish that was starting to get heated.

"You ready to get out of here, McGee?"

Tim silently nodded and stood up gingerly, biting back any winces or groans. "Do I really need the wheelchair boss? I can walk." Tim eyed the contraption with an air of trepidation but didn't actually make a move from where he stood leaning stiffly on the bed.

"Well if the way you are standing is anything to go by then yeah, you do McGee. It's SOP in this joint so hop in. Abbs, grab his gear and let's go."

Gibbs waited for Tim to slowly lever himself down into the wheelchair and turned it expertly so he could push his agent out of the hospital to the safety of the car. His skills at manoeuvring the chair was testament as to how many times he had done this for his team, that fact alone saddened him as they made their way home.

Gibb's got Tim settled on the couch and walked into the kitchen to finish making some much needed coffee. As much as he needed to stay with his injured agent, the hospital coffee really didn't cut the mustard and left him with a craving for a mug of his own favourite blend.

He knew something had been wrong between the two newly fledged love birds given the two of them hadn't spoken a word on the way back from the hospital. Abby had chosen to move straight to the guest bedroom, leaving the two men alone downstairs. Gibbs grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and move into the living room to sit and talk to his agent, hoping to drag whatever issue Tim had out of him so he could rest easily and comfortably.

"You all right, McGee?" Gibbs handed Tim the bottle of water and sank into an armchair.

"Yeah, Boss, I'm good." Tim's quick, quiet reply alerted Gibbs to the fact that all was _not_ right with his agent and he couldn't decide whether or not it was down to the pain and exhaustion from his injuries, or whatever happened between him and Abby when he'd gone to get the discharge papers and wheelchair.

"You wanna talk about it?" Tim huffed out a small laugh and shook his head.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Boss. All I want to do is sleep right now but the thought of tackling those stairs doesn't seem the least bit appealing."

"Then don't." It was the typical Gibbs response, if there was a simple answer to all of this, he could always rely on his boss to come up with it.

"Gonna have to at one point boss, I'm too tired to pull an all-nighter." Gibbs laughed loudly at Tim's humor and shook his head.

"Stay down here McGee, you won't need the stairs and I can vouch for that couch." Tim was about to reply when they were sidelined by the sound of Abby's platforms clomping down the stairs.

Abby had decided to come to Tim and was carrying her laptop and some DVD's in her overfilled arms.

"Hey, Timmy. Do you want to watch a movie with me?" There was a hint of an apology in her voice and Tim allowed himself to give her a small grin at her for the offer.

"Yeah, okay, what have you got?" Tim replied, he was more than willing to meet her roundabout apology half way if it meant keeping the peace.

Abby practically bounced her way over to the couch and made quick work of setting up the laptop ready for the movies that she had chosen. She handed the pile to Tim and winked at him knowingly.

"You choose."

He flicked through the pile and pulled out the new star trek movie that Abby had strategically placed in the middle of the pile knowing he would zone right in on it and ignored the rest; he put the rest of the pile to the side and handed over the film that Abby knew he would was dying to see with a huge grin on his face.

"You want to watch with us, Boss?" Tim already knew the answer to his question but felt obliged to ask it anyway.

"Nope! I'll be in the basement."Gibbs got up and sauntered over to the door of the basement leaving the couple alone to enjoy their time together in peace.

"Just me and you then Abbs." Tim said with another small grin and tried to settle back as much as his injured ribs would let him. He let a small groan. "This really sucks."

"I know, Timmy, but look on the bright side; we get to spend some quality time together." She sat on his uninjured side and laced her fingers through Tim's before hitting the play button on the laptop. The two of them settled in to watch the movie, oblivious to anything else but the film and the closeness that this simple act provided.

It didn't seem like two minutes before the end credits started to roll and even Abby had to admit to enjoying the film. She had never been a trekkie and attributed mainly to the fact that she was watching with Tim.

"That was a good choice, Timmy." She offered with a smile before leaning up to give him a quick kiss.

"Thanks." Tim was feeling relatively smug at having pleased his girl with his movie choice and let her settle back against him again. They sat there in silence whilst Tim carded his fingers through Abby's raven hair which, for the first time, was hanging loosely around her shoulders instead of being tied in her trademark pigtails. Abby felt Tim relax gradually, so seized the moment to tackle the cause of their argument in the hospital.

"We need to talk, Timmy." She said quietly in the hope that her calm voice would coax the conversation out of her boyfriend without them coming to blows.

"What about?"

"Alex"

"Abby, I'm tired and I really don't wanna have this conversation right now." Tim answered with a deep sincerity.

"No, Tim! We need to talk about it now!" Abby demanded, she wished she hadn't admitted the whole affair now but the can of worms had been opened leaving her defending Alex with a determined vehemence that threatened to tear her apart.

"No. Abby. We're not!" Tim bit back sharply, he was hurting far too much to deal with this right now and the more she demanded he do this her way, the angrier he got. Before he said something he'd regret, Tim stood up painfully and forced himself to climb the stairs, making his way to the only room in the house he knew would be safe from his house mate's clutches at the moment. He soon found himself entering Gibbs' room and closed the door behind him, relishing the security he felt at being totally alone. He walked stiffly towards the other door and entered before turning round and locking the door behind him.

Abby would never think to look for him in Gibbs' bathroom. She wouldn't think he'd have the cahoonas to hide out from her in here. He groaned loudly when he bent down to drop the toilet lid and sat down on the cold porcelain. He fought the pain that was working its way through his overtaxed body and started to regret moving up the stairs at all when wave after wave of stabbing pain made him pant harshly in the cool bathroom. Harnessing every ounce of inner strength he had, he silently rode it out until finally, after what seemed like hours later, it finally subsided to a dull ache that seemed to be the norm in recent days. He sighed with relief and stood up gingerly to make his way back to the confines of the bedroom so he could get his head together in peace.

He stood there panting with the exertion and feeling completely exhausted, he finally forced himself to move; knowing he needed to vacate Gibbs' bathroom and go back downstairs to the couch where he could lay down and relax. As he trudged toward the door, he heard a sharp knock on the other side. Startled, he froze for a second waiting for the person to announce their presence.

"McGee? Get out here and talk to me." Gibbs said authoritatively in an attempt to get Tim out so he could assess his condition. He was slightly pissed at the fact that his agent had stupidly gone out of his way to hide and possibly cause himself a world of pain in the process.

As he did as he was told, his heart dropped. _Why was it the more he tried to keep up his bravado and try to show strength in front of this man; the more it backfired on him? Couldn't he ever get this right? Next thing you know, Gibbs would be reading him the riot act for not giving Abby what she wanted, _and he really hoped Gibbs would at least wait until tomorrow to do it. Tim didn't know how much more of anything he could take tonight so decided to just suck it up and do whatever Gibbs asked of him until he could get through long enough to get to bed.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and was shocked to find Gibbs sitting on his bed, waiting patiently for him to come out.

"Boss. I'm ..."

"No. McGee. You know better. Just sit down here and tell me what the hell's going on." Gibbs' tone held a small note of frustration but all in all, there was nothing but worry in the older man's eyes.

"Is Abby okay?" Tim asked with genuine concern.

"She's fine. Pissed, but fine. Start talkin, McGee."

Tim nodded but felt the onset of his body's betrayal. The world greyed out monetarily as Tim legs gave out on him making him list dangerously to the side involuntarily. Before he could stop himself, he felt Gibbs' strong arms steady him to stop him from injuring himself further.

"Never mind, McGee. C'mon, you need to get some sleep." Gibbs advised as he helped Tim out of the room and down the stairs.

Tim was almost asleep on the couch 10 minutes later, after having taken the pain pills Gibbs got out for him and ordered him to take. As sleep took his agent over, the older man watched him with a deep concern that came from seeing your child in pain. This kid had been through so much lately. _He wasn't a runner. Tim didn't usually run from what bothered him. What the hell was going on here?_

"Is he okay?" Abby's voice came from the doorway behind him and seemed small and timid compared to the normal excited voice the Goth had.

Gibbs finished covering Tim with the comforter and walked over to Abby, ushering her away from Tim and back towards the kitchen. He was reassuring her as they went.

"He's exhausted and his body's still giving him hell, Abbs. But, he'll be fine."

"Good. Okay."

"What's going on, Abby? What the hell happened?"

"I pushed him to talk and he refused. Gibbs, he's never refused to talk to me before!"

"Abby, he just got out of the hospital and is scared and worried about the fact that someone is after him. He's been through hell in the past few days and is still recovering! Did that even occur to you while you were pushing him?"

"No Gibbs. I guess I had tunnel vision but I just wanted him to know how I felt. How is that wrong?"

"What was so important that you had to make McGee feel bad enough to hide?"

"Alex." Abby said quietly.

"What about him, Abby?"

"I wanted to convince McGee that Alex can't be behind this."

"And you had to do it tonight? Abby he's hurtin' right now and should be resting."

"Well, yeah, Gibbs. It's important that Tim and I agree on this. We can't be chasing this from two different ends!"

"Okay. Abbs, but McGee might not agree. For now, Cut the man some slack and don't expect him to not to check out all the leads in this; even if they do point to people you think aren't involved."

"Gibbs!"

"Abby, go get some sleep. We'll pick up the investigation tomorrow. I suggest you save that conversation for a couple of days. You could both use a break."

"Okay. Gibbs.." Abby said with tearfully, as she kissed him on the cheek and took herself off to the solitude of Gibbs' spare bedroom where she could sit and think alone.

The next morning came round quickly and Tim woke up feeling as though he could barely move. The pain was intense and any small movement sent the tendrils of agony slicing over his frazzled nerves. To top it off, the stiffness was even worse. Still, he was unwilling to let Gibbs see any weakness in him and he forced himself to get up and move slowly to the kitchen for breakfast. As he slid his strongest mask in place, he could only hope that the rest of what he was feeling, was tucked away and safely hidden from the world.

"Mornin', Boss." Tim greeted in a quiet tone as he entered the kitchen to find the older man already sitting at the table, enjoying his first cup of coffee of the day.

Gibbs silently nodded back at Tim before pushing the chair across from him out with his foot. After Tim sat down, Gibbs settled the newspaper down and raked his eyes over his agent. He felt the sympathy pang sharply at the pain and stiffness he saw in those youthful green eyes.

"How you feelin,' McGee?"

"I'm okay." Tim answered in what he hoped, was a believable tone. He really hoped Gibbs wouldn't push this.

"Yeah?" Gibbs asked with a knowing smirk and poured Tim a mug of the coffee he had brewed earlier.

"Yeah, Really, I'm good." Tim let yet another white lie slip out of his mouth and wondered whether Gibbs would see right through him. He'd do anything to keep up the show of strength, not wanting to appear weak in front of the man that had given him a chance in the first place. He could feel his boss' steely gaze scrutinizing him and was relieved when he head Abby heading towards the room.

"Mornin', guys." Abby said as she came into the kitchen.

"Mornin', Abbs." Came the unified reply. While Tim greeted her, his eyes went directly to hers, searching for a glimpse of what she was feeling after their fight last night. Gibbs' eyes flicked over to Abby but quickly returned back to his agent; knowing he was both trying desperately to hide how he felt, and lying about it. _The question was, why? Why would Tim feel the need to hide what he was going through from him? Hadn't they gotten over all that? Maybe it's time to ask Ducky for his opinion._

"Abby, we leave in 30." Gibbs told her as he got up out of his chair, gesturing for her to take his seat. He walked over to the fridge and grabbed the large cup of her beloved caf-pow. As he set it down in front of her, her eyes lit up and she literally squealed, sparking smiles from both men. Gibbs made his excuse of getting ready for work as he left the two of them alone for breakfast.

"You okay, Abbs?" Tim asked her gently as soon as he heard Gibbs close his bedroom door.

"Yeah, McGee. I'm fine." She replied testily, still stung by what had happened last night.

He really didn't think he should have to do this, but for the sake of peace between them, he was willing to do it; this time. "Abby, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you last night. I'm really sorry."

"I forgive you, Tim." She gloated at how quickly he apologised. Smiling at him, she allowed her bubbly self to resurface; after all, he'd just proven she was right and that made everything all right. As she sat there internally gloating at her victory, she failed to see the malingering hurt that showed in his eyes.

When she did finally look at him, she only saw that he still looked haggard and like he could use another full night's sleep. As his recovering body soon made its displeasure known, his face pinched slightly with the pain. It was that look that sent the stab of remorse driving through her heart.

Gibbs' words from last night came back to her

_"Abby, he just got out of the hospital. He's still recovering"_

" _Cut McGee some slack."_

Try as she did, Abby just couldn't get past the indignation of Tim persisting in allowing the investigation to head in Alex's direction. But that didn't mean she didn't care about her Timmy. She had no doubt that Tim understood that. Still, it looked like he needed to go straight back to bed.

"C'mon, Timmy, let's get you back to the couch. You need to get some more sleep."

"I got him. Abbs. Go get ready. C'mon, McGee, you're taking my bed while we're gone." Gibbs said as he came back into the kitchen.

"Boss, what about….?" Tim asked in confusion.

"Ducky'll be here in a minute. He's gonna stay with you until Tony gets here in an hour or so. Gibbs interrupted his question as he helped him to his feet and followed him to the stairs, remaining at his back, ready to steady him if the need arose.

Once he was settled comfortably in the bed and had taken his next dose of pain meds under Gibbs' glare daring him not to, Tim was able to relax and even his edginess seemed to be easing off. As Gibbs watched surreptitiously from the door, Tim's body seemed to melt into the bed as the tension slid off him like a shirt being discarded.

"I'll send Abby up here before we leave." Gibbs told him.

"K." Tim said sleepily.

Sure enough, Abby bounded up the stairs under the rush of a one minute warning from the boss.

"Hey, Tim, you be good today and don't try to do too much all right?"

"Mmm. Hmm." Was all Tim could manage. Abby, obviously still smarting from the arguments, found the anger rise in her at what she took to be Tim's blasé attitude.

"Timmy! Are you listening to me?"

Tim jumped slightly and looked daze, as his mind was pulled harshly out of the realms of sleep that it had started to slip into. Blinking, he looked at her and answered her more coherently. "Yeah, Abby. I'm right here. Please don't yell."

"Well, if you'd answer me so that I know you're listening, I wouldn't yell, McGee! Her voice was practically dripping with the venom she had injected into that one statement.

"Ok. Abby." Tim gave her. Anything to keep the peace from disintegrating and the resulting uproar was just cleaving his head open.

"Now, while you're not working today, Tim. I would appreciate it if you could think about what we talked about yesterday." She saw the opening and decided to grab the bull by the horns.

"Abby…"

"This is very important to me, McGee."

"I know, Abby. I know. But, it's like I told you. There's no way we're not gonna investigate every possibility on this."

"If you think that I would get engaged to someone who would ever do something like this than you don't know me nearly as well as you think you do. And there is something wrong with that after all these years of working together, McGee!"

"Abby! Let's Go!" Gibbs shouted down from the stairwell.

There was enough anger thrown into his voice that Abby knew he'd heard her yelling at Tim just now. Abby realized her goose was cooked. What she didn't realize was that she'd just broken Tim McGee's heart; again.


	22. Chapter 22

_Hi guys _

_**peeks out from behind a big tree**_

_We're really, really sorry for making you wait for an update, and I want you all to know that you're wait has been down to lil' ole' me - Shelbylou_

_**Waves twig with a clean white tissue attached**_

_Smartkid37 met her homework deadline with days to spare and had this chapter ready for me to go through, but I was struck down by a dreaded headcold_

_**Aachooo**_

_And i've still got it now!_

_Needless to say, I've been really cruddy at going through this and want to let you guys know how profoundly sorry I am for holding on to this whilst the cotton wool clears out of my brain._

_Now, we warn you; It's a long one so we hope that makes up for your long wait and we hope you enjoy _

_Smartkid37 - Thank you for being so patient with me, I appreciate it (I tell ya guys, she's been an absolute star and has had the patience of a saint with me!)_

**********************

_And - so here we go!_

* * *

"_Well, if you'd answer me so that I know you're listening, I wouldn't yell, McGee! "_

"_If you think that I would get engaged to someone who would ever do something like this than you don't know me nearly as well as you think you do. And there is something wrong with that after all these years of working together, McGee!"_

Gibbs' anger shot through the roof as he listened to Abby's loud, bitter voice 'saying goodbye' to Tim. It carried down the stairs in waves as every word that was shouted to his ailing agent sent spikes of sheer rage shooting through him; an emotion that grew seeing as he was waiting impatiently for her at the bottom of the stairs so they could _actually_ get to work. It was a task that was proving difficult in lieu of his forensic scientist losing her cool and Gibbs felt torn between going up there and dragging her out by her pigtails or waiting down here for her but chose the latter in an effort to keep a lid on the white hot anger that flooded through his veins. There was only one thing for it and he forced himself to focus on the one thing he needed to get her moving.

"Abby! Let's Go!" Gibbs shouted up the stairwell; although he allowed a good dose of his vehemence to drip off of those three words knowing she would come running at the currently pissed off authority that he put into that simple sentence.

Sure enough, the Lab Rat's expression soon changed from the irate grimace her face had adopted throughout the tirade and completely betrayed her fear as she heard the impatience in his tone. As she quickly but silently brought herself down the stairs a mere 10 seconds after he'd issued the order; Gibbs used every ounce of self control he had to silently glare at her until she reached the bottom step. He waited with his arms folded dangerously across his chest and it was only when she'd reached the point where he stood, did he speak to her and even then, the words were measured and to the point.

"Living room, now!"

She automatically grabbed her stuff and started to skulk towards the couch, knowing better then to even try to talk to Gibbs when he was this pissed. She felt more and more miserable with every step and knew that she had crossed the line with her boss and adopted father.

Gibbs watched as Abby sank down on the couch and he ran up the stairs; taking them two at a time needing to get to Tim to make sure he was all right, given the tongue lashing he had just received. He finally reached the doorway to his bedroom and paused momentarily. It was out of sheer concern for the kid; his own fear of Ducky's retribution, hell even Tony's if things had just deteriorated for Tim in regard to his health or even his mental state, that made him silently remain in the open doorway and simply peer in like a parent checking on their slumbering child.

What he saw made his gut clench. Tim was obviously awash in misery. Physically, he looked no worse for wear than he had before Abby had unleashed her very own brand of punishment on him. Before he could say anything, Tim wiped angrily at his tears and rolled over so that his back now to the doorway. Whether or not he knew Gibbs had been standing there was uncertain; but Tim's unwillingness to talk wasn't.

"McGee. We're headin' out now. There anything you need?" Gibbs watched as Tim sighed heavily before answering with a small voice.

"I'm good, Boss. Thanks."

"Alright; Ducky'll be here in just a minute. If you need anything, you phone's on the nightstand." His heart dropped at the weak, defeated voice that trailed over to him from the bed.

"Thanks. I won't need it though. I don't want to be any more of a burden. I'm just gonna get some rest."

"Burden? Oh for….McGee, If you need me then call. There's a bottle of water next to you on the nightstand." He waited for answer but all he got was silence. Moving out of the room, he closed the door and sighed heavily whilst remembering the conversation he had had with his young agent about hurting Abby. Turns out, he had nothing to worry about on Tim's part. In fact, he'd had it backwards. Then again, Ducky had already warned him as much, hadn't he?

Now that things had gotten slightly out of hand, Gibbs hovered outside the bedroom and felt totally uncomfortable with leaving Tim alone before, not just Ducky but Tony, were here. Gibbs stayed where he was and was deliberating leaving when relief flooded through his mind as Ducky's arrival was heralded by the M.E.'s voiced question as it floated up to him from the bottom of the stairs. The voice got louder as Ducky started to climb the stairs after anticipating where Gibbs would take Tim to rest for the day.

"Jethro? Is everything all right? I saw Abigail sitting in the living room and she looks quite upset. Did something else happen after you called me last night?" Ducky reached the top step just as he finished asking the question.

He paused and scrutinized Gibbs' watchful position in his bedroom doorway, that in itself was telling and he soon figured out the answer without a word passing by Gibbs' lips. He felt his heart drop slightly at the silence and waited for the verbal answer he was expecting with a false eagerness. Jethro just shook his head with a sad, silent answer of 'no' and started making his way downstairs.

If anything, watching his friend as he made his way down was disheartening, it was the pause halfway down that let Ducky know he was supposed to follow and with a heavy sense of foreboding he followed….. _What else could have gone wrong? How much more could that poor young man upstairs take?_

Once Ducky reached the bottom of the stairs, Gibbs ushered him into the kitchen so they were allowed them a modicum of privacy with their conversation.

"No, Duck. Abby's still in a tizzy over this whole mess." Gibbs said in a hushed tone.

"You told me that this could possibly be the work of an ex-fiancé of hers."

"Yeah. And Tim's having a hard time trying to get her to back off. She's so determined that we don't even look at the possibility of this guy doin' these things that it's having an impact."

"I'm afraid, I don't understand. Has she said something else on the matter? I know you told me that she tried to bully him into talking to her when you got home last night. As I told you when we talked last night, she must not be thinking clearly." Ducky felt his frustration rise at the remembered conversation he had with Gibbs the night before. "Timothy was quite unable to carry on a conversation of such nature so soon after his injury and was most likely still in a great deal of pain, that much I can be sure of!" Ducky protested.

"Well, yeah, Duck he was. Like I told you last night, he tried to tell her as much. Typical Abby, she wouldn't listen. He took care of the situation though."

"Yes, I still find it difficult to believe that Timothy would feel driven to hide, Jethro. It's out of character for that young man up there."

"Yeah. I know, Duck. At least I got him to get some sleep, but it's like Abby's on a mission; she's got tunnel vision with this Alex guy and right now he's the only thing she's worried about."

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Ducky admitted. Gibbs noticed the frown and couldn't help feel the pang of regret that was bound to accompany the explanation.

"She just took another crack at McGee; yelled at him so loud I could hear her all the way down here. I sent her out to the car but I doubt she even knows what she's done wrong right now. Maybe he'll talk to you eventually, I think he just fell asleep which is the best thing for him. Then again; maybe not. He might just be avoiding me."

"I'll take care of him. Jethro; You need to take care of Abigail's priorities because they seem to be somewhat skewered at the moment. I trust you will help her set them straight?" the M.E. answered earnestly and forcefully.

"You can count on it, Call me and let me know how he's doing, Duck." Gibbs said as he headed out, stopping briefly in the living room to flick his head towards the front door. He waited for Abby to make her way over and together they headed out.

In the living room, Abby's nerves were becoming frayed with each passing minute. Even Ducky's arrival a couple of minutes ago had done nothing to alleviate her sense of doom because personal experience told her that, having Gibbs pissed at you is never a good thing. With Abby, it was a rare enough occurrence that when it did happen, it left her feeling lost and almost scared.

As Gibbs walked out to the car with Abby, he thought back to the initial conversation he'd had with Tim when his youngest agent decided to give it another go with Abby. Tim had been nervous; sure who wouldn't be, but there was something else there that Gibbs just couldn't put his finger on. It was strangely warming to see that glint of affection run through those large green sparkling eyes when he talked about trying again with the girl he had always had a soft spot for.

_"Yeah. But the only reason it's work related is because of your rule." – _There it was, the first glint of affection which was soon replaced by regret at that cursed rule.

_"Which one?" - _Gibbs remembered being blindsided by the conversation leaving him pondering exactly which rule Tim was talking about.

_"12." _

_"You gonna let me in, here?" _

_"She asked me if I would think about dating her again. Asked me if I was still in love with her." _- And that was it, the question of his love for Abby had already been answered; not by words, but the rush of love that flooded his eyes and softened his face even further. That rush of pure, raw emotion heralded the very moment that Gibbs knew he had made the right decision to let Tim try again….though it wasn't without the obligatory warnings; warnings he should have given Abby too given her stinking attitude at the moment.

Gibbs didn't even look Abby's way when finally settled behind the wheel; his anger was too close to the surface and threatened to spill over. Despite this, he refused to hit her with the full brunt of it; even if she was the cause of it. With all the self-control he had, he kept his focus on his driving and sat back trying to force the part of his brain that wasn't needed, into thinking of just how to talk to her when he'd calmed down enough to do so. For once in his life, he was happy to turn on the radio; relieved to be able to break up the stifling silence with the obnoxious noise from the station he carelessly flipped to.

For Abby, riding with Gibbs had never, ever been such an exercise in torture before. This was almost more than she could stand and she felt her nerves crumble more with each mile they put between them and Gibbs' house. When Gibbs turned on the radio and randomly dialed into a station that turned out to be classic rock; Abby couldn't help the grin that spread across her face; thankfully, she was turned away from the boss when she did.

As they reached NCIS, Abby made a mad dash for the elevator and was totally unprepared for what happened next.

"Freeze!" Gibbs barked at her before she'd gotten five steps from his car. She stopped, frozen to the spot at the commanding tone in his voice.

"Gibbs!" she at last found her voice and felt the irritation rise from deep inside her.

"You forget something?" he asked her dryly.

"What exactly is it I forgot?" she asked with an obvious attitude that was guaranteed to exacerbate Gibbs already fragile temper.

"You mean besides the fact that you need to keep the phrase "thin ice" in mind? Try the phrase

'Protection detail' while you're at it!" Gibbs bit out with just enough anger to make his point.

"Sorry." Abby said carelessly.

"Nu-uh. Not even close." Gibbs said as he gestured toward the elevator as he caught up to her and stayed close. He remained watchful and tense and thought about the fact that being seriously angry with your protectee never made for an easy job of keeping them safe. This was no different. Only when they were safely inside the elevator and securely on their way to the squad room did Gibbs relax and then he did so only enough to get the next part of the ordeal over with.

Reaching over, he snapped the switch on the elevator with force; claiming the makeshift 'conference room' as his once again. With her heart in her throat, Abby waited patiently for whatever was coming knowing she'd definitely be feeling his wrath at this morning's little performance. She'd been trying to remember the last time Gibbs had been so pissed at her but drew nothing but blanks. She sagged slightly at the glare that was currently boring its way into her soul and waited for him to start; completely unable to even imagine what it was he was going to say or do.

"Do you care about McGee at all, Abby? Gibbs finally asked with a quiet, cold tone.

"What? What kind of…Of course I care about Timmy, Gibbs! I love him!"

"Do you? Is that what this morning was, the newest dose of love; Abby style? Cause, I gotta tell ya, Abbs; if that's your idea of love; McGee not only doesn't need it; he won't stand for it."

"Gibbs! What…?"

"And even if he's too much of a softy to tell you as much; **I **won't stand for it. He's recovering from being shot; he's got a target on his back and he's under protective custody. What you pulled last night and this morning; doesn't fly with me and **will not** happen again!"

"Okay." Abby gave in.

"I mean it, Abby!"

"I know. I get it, Gibbs."

"Oh, and Abby?"

"Yeah, Gibbs?"

"This conversation; between you and me; It's not over. We'll talk about it later. Go on, get down to your lab and get to work."

Gibbs flipped the switch on the elevator and leaned against the wall as it started to move. They travelled in silence and moved towards the doors, waiting for them to open, when the elevator stopped. Abby was left to make her way down to her lab alone and couldn't help feeling heavily abashed at Gibbs' words as they flew around in her head.

As Gibbs strode into the squad room, he noticed Ziva was already sitting at her desk and seemed to doing okay as she picked up her searches from the night before. She gave him a cheery smile and 'good morning', but didn't flinch when he simply grunted in her direction. He glanced over at his other two agents' desks and frowned. He hated it when one of his agents was out from injury at the best of times, but his was so much worse because this time, it was personal. Tim seriously didn't deserve what was happening; after all he was a good, kind hearted kid that wouldn't harm anybody. Damn, he wished he could figure this out.

"Ziva, get me everything you can on this guy." Gibbs said as he handed her the piece of paper with the name of Abby's ex-fiancé on it. "I need it ASAP so quit what you're doin' and work on that."

"Certainly, Gibbs. How is McGee this morning?" Ziva asked with a concerned frown on her pretty face.

Gibbs felt a slice of remorse cut through him at the fact that he hadn't even greeted her; Instead choosing to just grunt in her direction when she'd tried. He mentally slapped himself because he'd been trying harder to at least give his team that courtesy team every morning.

"He's okay. Ducky's with him and Tony's taking over this morning. You?"

"I am fine."

"Yeah?" Gibbs double checked.

"I promise. I am fine." She vowed.

"Okay."

Sitting down at his desk, Gibbs dug into his emails and work for the day while Ziva dug into the background information on Alex.

As Gibbs left, Ducky locked the door behind him and drew the shades. He picked up the small caliber handgun that Gibbs insisted he carry until he was safely back in the NCIS building later and turned to climb the stairs to check on his patient. Ducky awkwardly held the gun in the hand that was hanging down at his side, taking care to make sure it was pointed away from himself. He had known many good men in his career, hold gun's wrong and blow a toe off so wanted to avoid that little mishap if he could.

Ducky reached Gibbs bedroom door and opened it gingerly in hope that Tim was asleep. He wasn't surprised to find his young charge lying on his back staring up to the ceiling and sighed softly to himself. He would have preferred Tim to be sleeping like Gibbs had suggested earlier and although he did appear close to falling asleep, he wasn't quite there yet. He knew that the young man had been given his morning dose of meds because Jethro was a stickler for such things when his agents were injured; that at least, was one thing for which Ducky was always grateful, though the pinched, pained look suggested they weren't having the desired effect.

Rather than disturb him,

Ducky remained in the doorway, watching as the young man's eyes continued to fight to stay open until a short two minutes later when they lost the fight and closed without opening back up. Ducky waited another few minutes until the pained look smoothed out completely and finally gave in to the desire to check on his vital signs, as carefully and as silently as possibly. The M.E. felt a huge sense of relief at finding everything was normal and Tim was doing well despite his injuries and covered the troubled young man up with the bedspread which had somehow, made its way down the end of the bed. Ducky straightened up and picked up his bag before making his way over to the door, with one last glance at Tim, he pulled the door to and headed back downstairs.

As he reached the bottom step, he was startled by the sound of footsteps on the front porch. Panic set in and his arm automatically rose to level the gun he was being forced to carry; _Oh no!_ He'd left it upstairs on the bedside table when he had set about checking Timothy's vital signs!

Ducking into the nearest room that gave him shelter from the front door, Ducky held his breath as he waited. When he heard the knock, his stomach lurched uncomfortably as fear started to set in.

"Ducky, it's Tony. C'mon. Let me in." Tony called out.

"Oh, Thank the heavens!" Ducky decreed as he quickly let the young man in. Apparently, his emotional upheaval showed on his face, as Tony looked at him with concern the minute he stepped through the door and closed it; locking it behind himself.

"Ducky? You all right? You look a little peaked."

"I'm fine, Anthony. You simply startled me."

"I'm sorry. You were armed, right? Gibbs gave you his backup for protection?" Tony's eyes were busy searching Ducky for signs of a weapon and he couldn't help but feel totally confused when he noticed that there wasn't one.

"Yes, he did."

"But, you left it upstairs with McGee, didn't' you? Ducky, you know…"

"It wasn't deliberate, Anthony." Ducky interrupted testily; a testament to how truly shaken up he was.

"Of course not, Sorry, Ducky. C'mon, let's go get some tea. I don't like seeing you this upset." Tony encouraged as he attempted to guide the M.E. to the kitchen.

"Thank you, my dear boy. I believe I could do with a cup of hot tea."

"I know. So, how's McGoo this morning?"

"Timothy seems to be having a difficult time of things I'm afraid." Ducky's emotions flitted from fear, to relief and then to sadness at the thought of Tim lying upstairs.

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Apparently, Abby has disclosed the possibility that this attack on Timothy is the work of an 'ex-fiancé' However, once she disclosed this; she has steadfastly insisted he is not responsible"

"What? Duck why mention it if she didn't think it was a possibility?"

"Ahh Anthony, you know Abigail. Her mind doesn't work in quite the same way as ours and sometimes information can get a little confused. I'm sure she felt the need to tell them what had happened but when it came to the realization that he may actually be causing harm, she realized that she'd made a grave error in judgment. Not that she'd ever admit to that."

"Okaaaay." Tony drew out the word as if trying to rationalize her actions in his mind. The penny dropped suddenly leaving him seeing the situation clearly. "Right, okay, that does Sound like Abby. So, what's the problem?"

"Well, Anthony, it would seem that Abigail is so bent on declaring this man's innocence; that she is willing to fight with Timothy over the matter."

"You're kidding, right? That's crazy! Probie just got shot, for cryin' out loud! Kid's not even 24 hours outta the hospital and she's giving him hell about an ex-fiancé? What the hell's the matter with her?"

"Anthony, please calm yourself. Seeing you carrying on like this will not help Timothy. You must focus on helping him with his meds and making sure he eats and sleeps. I advise you not to let him get too upset about any of this; it will only impede his recovery."

"I hear ya, Ducky. I promise; I'll take good care of him." Tony felt a stronger wave of protectiveness wash over him at Ducky's revelation and wanted nothing more than to take his Probie away and hide him from the monsters that chased him and, he never thought he'd every say this, Abby.

"I have no doubt of that Anthony." Ducky said as he finished his tea set about collecting his bag, coat and trilby hat. Tony escorted him to his car and watched sadly as the elderly M.E. got into his reconditioned Morgan and made his way to NCIS. He twirled the house keys around his finger and moved back to the house, only pausing to unlock the door that he had locked on his way out to say goodbye to Ducky. On his way to the house, he had sub-consciously don a sweep of the garden and he street and even though it was clear, the uneasiness seemed to curl around his mind and didn't abate until he was safely in the house with the door firmly locked behind him.

Tony pulled out his weapon and walked from room to room, sweeping each one with an eagle eye, there was no way he was taking any chances and no matter what, Tim was going to stay safe on his watch; no way was a lunatic getting their hands on his Probie, not if Tony had anything to say on the matter.

Once he was satisfied that the house was secure, he moved back to the kitchen and grabbed his breakfast and a couple of books. He took them upstairs and quietly walked into Gibbs bedroom to sit in the easy chair and watch over Tim. Tim didn't stir at all and Tony felt his heart lighten slightly at the peaceful, calm look on his friends face; it always struck him how impossibly young Tim looked in sleep and he found himself almost missing the banter they shared. He settled back and took a large bite of the breakfast burrito he had bought with him.

Although he normally hated reading, Tony had good naturedly brought Tim's book with him and was more than willing to read it again. Now years after the initial shock had worn off; he was actually anxious to read it with a fresh perspective; and so he passed the next several hours lost in the pages of Tom E. Gemcity, reveling in the realism of the cases and the characters. Reading Tim's book now, he started to feel proud of his Probie, after all, there's no way in the world he'd be able to write like this.

Before Tony knew it, his stomach was once again growling and he realized he'd been reading for quite some time. Marking his page with a bookmark, he set the book down and looked at his watch and was startled to find he had indeed just read a book for three solid hours without a break. He stretched and cringed when his back popped ominously, and looked toward the bed. He was horrified to find that Tim wasn't even asleep; but was lying there, curled up as much as he could be considering his injuries. His shoulders were silently shaking with the obvious sobs that wracked his body. What broke Tony's heart at that moment, was the fact that Tim had hidden his face in the pillow in his attempt to muffle the sounds of his breakdown. Tony made his way over to the bed and sank down on the mattress before placing a placating hand on Tim's shoulder.

"Probie? Hey, talk to me! You don't have to do this! You can talk to me!"

Tim silently shook his head and audibly sucked in deep breaths in his desperate attempt to put his emotional storm away now that he'd been discovered letting it out. Tony completely understood Tim's reluctance to talk seeing as letting others in was a team flaw rather than an individual one. None of them had ever been good at it and found it uncomfortable.

"Okay, Tim. I'm going downstairs to get us some grub. I'll be back in a few, all right?" Tony said, not waiting for the answer he knew wasn't coming. He headed out leaving Tim to pull himself together in peace.

Gibbs was coming in as Tony reached the bottom of the stairs, ready to check on Tim and grab some lunch at the same time. Tony could feel his boss's eyes on him and squirmed slightly under the scrutiny knowing that Gibbs' sixth sense would kick in about what had just happened.

"How is he?" the deep rumble was cautious.

"Needing some time by himself, Boss." Tony said, hoping Gibbs would understand the unspoken message more than the verbal answer he'd given.

Gibbs nodded and walked towards the kitchen. He walked to the fridge and pulled out a container of soup for Tim and the sandwiches he'd brought home last night for himself and Tony.

"Boss, I'm not gonna eat that in front of him." Tony objected. "I mean normally, I'd do it without thinkin' about it, but after seeing him just now? No. I just can't. The last thing he needs right now is my typical DiNozzo style makin' light of everything." Tony said with self-depreciation.

"DiNozzo, just sit down and eat, will ya?" Gibbs demanded as he heated up Tim's soup. Once it was hot, he transferred it into a bowl and headed up the stairs with the tray that included Tim's meds as well as his soup and a glass of milk to coat his stomach.

Gibbs was halfway to the bedroom when he started treading heavily down the hall in a deliberate attempt to make enough noise to let Tim know he was about to have company. There was no need to add any more awkward moments to everything else Tim was going through. Apparently, his efforts paid off, because when he got to the bedroom, the bed was empty and he could hear the noises in the bathroom that told him where Tim was. The entangled blanket and sheets spoke volumes as to what kind of rest his agent hadn't gotten. To add insult to injury to Gibbs' worried heart, the soaked pillowcase told the story of Tim's current emotional state; that sent an unearthly desire to headslap Abby into next week, spiking through him ….. even from afar.

Wordlessly, Gibbs set the tray down on the dresser and pulled a set of clean sheets out of the closet. He had just started stripping the bed when he heard the shower turn on; dropping the sodden pillowcase on the floor he hurried over to the bathroom and rapped sharply on the door.

"Hey, McGee don't get that wound area wet or Ducky'll have both of our hides!"

Tim's answer was drowned out by the water but Gibbs knew he'd been heard and that Tim would be extremely careful now that he'd been reminded. While he had the chance, Gibbs quickly completely changed the linen on the bed and threw over a clean comforter. He felt better knowing Tim would have a clean bed to climb into and hoped it would help him get some more restful sleep now that he'd apparently let some of his boiled over emotions out. Gibbs set his agent's lunch tray down on the now newly sheeted bed and laid a clean towel and some clean sweats across on the bed for him before heading back down stairs. He had decided against hanging around to see whether Tim needed help or not knowing the kid would probably appreciate some privacy as he dried and dressed himself so he could climb back into bed.

Gibbs was itching to get back to the office to see what progress had been made on their enquiries, but he didn't want to go without first seeing Tim for himself and maybe talking to him, even if it was just for a minute. Gibbs forced himself to wait and soon ran out of patience some ten minutes later; he headed back up to his bedroom, leaving Tony taking a few minutes to do a casual check on the perimeter of the house. Knocking quickly on the door, more to announce himself than to ask permission to enter, Gibbs followed up by quickly entering and stopping in the doorway.

Tim looked better than he had at breakfast, that much was a relief; although he looked flushed and was sitting stiffly in the bed, favoring the uninjured side as he tried to relieve some of the pressure. Gibbs put the flush down to Tim being fresh out of a hot shower and didn't pursue it any further; the obvious stiffness worried him though. Instead of mentioning it yet, he moved in and picked up the tray that was balanced on Tim's knees. Glancing down at the still relatively full bowl of soup, he moved the tray to the dresser and looked over at Tim questioningly.

"Did you eat?"

"A little. I'm sorry. It's all I could manage." Tim said regretfully as the pain made his stomach revolt heavily leaving a churning, nausea in its wake.

"Not your fault. How you feelin'? Hurtin' much?"

"No. I think the hot shower helped a lot. I actually feel pretty good. Just stiff." Tim was thankful for the red flush the hot water had left because no sooner had the lie left his lips, he felt his treacherous body blush.

"Good. Still, no getting' up or movin' around anymore than what you did with the shower. Ducky'll kill us for sure if you do."

"I won't. I shouldn't have any trouble taking another nap. Still feel wiped out." That in itself was an understatement; he felt absolutely exhausted but didn't want to worry his boss anymore than he had to.

"Good. Rest is the best thing for ya."

"I know, Boss."

"Okay. I'm going back to work. Tony's downstairs. Any problems, you call on him. DON'T get outta this bed again, unless it's to use the head!"

"I won't ." Tim vowed, now he was back in the large, comfortable bed there was no way he was leaving it again anytime soon. The shower and the fact that the linen was clean and crisp helped with his comfort as he shuffled carefully down the bed so he could lie down.

Gibbs nodded in silent understanding before he headed back downstairs. Something wasn't right. McGee's eyes were filled with something Gibbs couldn't quite put his finger on and that bothered the boss. He knew Tim wouldn't open up yet and he hoped he'd be able to find the answer soon.

"Tony. You keep your eye on him." Gibbs instructed. "See if you can get him to talk."

"Sure thing, Boss." Tony said as he realized what Gibbs wasn't actually telling him. It was testament to how the team dynamics actually were because they rarely needed to verbalize things like this anymore. What Tony got out of his boss' words was that the Boss man was worried about whatever it was Tim was bottling up.

Well, Tony was too and hopefully, he could get the younger man to trust him enough to open up and let him in without being too emotionally painful. Only time and genuine effort would tell.

After Gibbs left, Tony locked up and headed back upstairs carrying a pitcher of ice water with him. Tim needed to stay hydrated and hadn't done a whole lot of drinking any fluids all day due to sleeping. _Better late than never_, Tony thought as he carefully trudged up the stairs.

Tony entered the bedroom as quietly as he could and was encouraged to see Tim already going back to sleep. The older agent knew that the boss man had had something to do with that so soon after eating what little of his lunch that he had. Judging by the bowl of soup that still sat on top of the dresser, Tim had barely touched his food. While not surprised, Tony was beginning to seriously worry.

Sitting back down after putting the pitcher of water down next to the tray, Tony once again immersed himself in his book. For some reason, he found it difficult to get quite so engrossed in the novel and didn't miss it when Tim began to toss and turn, shifting restlessly as he slept on. Maybe he noticed it more because this time, his movements were accompanied with whimpers of pain and small cries of distress. Whatever the reason was, it was immaterial as Tony set his book down and went to sit by his probie in hopes he could be of some help. Each word was followed by a painful keening noise and panting as Tim struggled with whatever nightmare he was locked in.

"_No, Abby!...My fault…..Sorry, Boss…..NO!...Doesn't love me….Kill me….."  
_

Tony started to stress out and panic at the broken phrases that Tim cried out. He knew that the tossing and turning Tim was doing couldn't be doing Tim's injuries any good and debated whether or not he should wake him up. Looking at his watch, he was shocked to see Tim had been sleeping for less than an hour when a loud cry pulled him out of his tremulous thoughts.

"Abby, m'sorry!...Please no more….Jethro…"

Tony couldn't take any more and placed his hand firmly on Tim's shoulder, applying pressure while talking to him calmly in an effort to gently ease Tim away from his own mind.

"McGee, c'mon, it's okay. You're fine."

Nothing seemed to work as Tim continued to cry out and toss and turn miserably.

Tony was beginning to get really worried especially seeing as his efforts were futile. Finally, he pulled a page out of Gibbs' rule book.

"**McGee!"**

Tim froze completely and all cries and movements seemed to die on his lips when his eyes flew open in a blind panic; searching frantically for something he couldn't see.

"Hey, Probie. You're okay. C'mon, look at me." Tony encouraged carefully not wanting to frighten his friend anymore.

As Tim worked to stop his panic and focus his eyes; he felt his heartbeat calm itself down and return to its' normal place in his chest. _Why the hell would Tony scare the hell outta him like _

_that?_

"Probie, look at me! Can you hear me?"

"Yeah. I hear you, Tony." Tim answered quietly.

"Talk to me, man. What' goin on?" Tony sympathetically attempted to get Tim to feel comfortable enough to open up but knew deep down, that after the nightmares that gripped Tim in his sleep, that job was not going to be easy.

"Nuthin, Tony. I'm fine." Tim kept the lid on his feelings with all of his might and felt his strength slipping away with each attempt Tony made to talk to him.

"No, McLiar, you're not fine! You can talk to me. Come on man, what's going on?"

Instantly both angry and desperately needing to talk, Tim rolled away from Tony in utter dejection; It seemed like a good compromise seeing as he just didn't know what the hell to say to Tony.

"McGoo. I'm sorry. But, I know you need to talk to someone. We're buds, c'mon. You're my little brother and something's buggin you; let me in!"

"It's Abby." Tim quiet admission was barely audible and Tony had only just caught the words as they were uttered.

"Ok. What about her?" Tony asked as he patiently waited for Tim's willingness to let him in show. He understood that it wasn't about being nosy or prying into Tim's business, it was about Tim trusting him enough to help him; that in itself was no easy feat.

As Tim turned around, he looked at Tony and finally opened up; telling him everything. Tony felt his heart breaking for the younger man and with each expressed fact and thought alike, Tony's heart ached for Tim and what he was going through. One thing shone through Tim's explosive revelations….._he loved Abby but couldn't see a way to be with her at the moment._

Tim even explained how he'd dug deep down inside himself to find the small piece of his soul that had been willing to risk his heart one more time; only to have it trampled on yet again; only this time; by the very person who'd sworn she'd understood it all. That was the reason why, when Tim's last word on the subject of Abby turned out to be a statement of exactly how he felt. Tony wasn't surprised, but found himself sympathizing heavily with his best friend.

"Tony. I can't be around her right now. What am I supposed to do? Gibbs is trying to protect both of us from this lunatic! I can't just ask him to choose between us? "

"Relax, Tim. I got this. Okay? Let me speak to Gibbs."

"Tony, you don't understand! **I** can't even talk to him about it! He already thinks I can't handle dating Abby and told me to take care of her…I did such a fantastic job of that didn't I?" Tony winced at the sarcasm that was dripping off of Tim "I was supposed to be keeping it outta work

Tony. And look what happened! He was right! That damn rule is there for a reason, I'm living testament to that; just look at this mess that's been left behind!"

"Hey! McGoo! This isn't your fault and Gibbs knows that! We ALL know that! Why is it that you don't?"

"Tony, I…"

"Relax, Tim. I get it. Really. It's the' Mr. McResponsible for everything that happens around me', talkin'." Tony pointed at Tim to emphasise his point "Well you can tell him to shut up so you can get some real sleep before Ducky has all of our hides, will ya?"

"Tony…"

"Look, Tim. I'm serious here. I understand. And I've got your six on this, all right? Now, go back to sleep before I'm forced to read to you. and for cryin' out loud, leave your worries out here."

"Thanks, Tony." Tim's gratitude was palpable.

"No sweat, Probie. Next time, don't try so damn hard to carry it all alone okay. We're here when you need us and don't you ever forget that."

"You mean like you. And Gibbs?" Tim asked sadly as he made public his knowledge of just how short he fell of the bar Tony and Gibbs had set.

"Yeah. Ok." Tony blithely admitted, unaware of the full brunt of what Tim was saying.

"Always knew I wasn't as tough as you guys, knew you both knew it too." Tim said quietly as his exhaustion started to pull him under again.

Tony felt Tim's words hit him like a dagger. Was that what this was about? Is that why he was tryin' so hard not to let anyone in?

"Gibbs won't trust me anymore, now." Tim whispered as sleep dragged him under. "No more respect."

Was he serious? Did Tim really think Gibbs felt that way? Man, they had a big problem on their hands. Easing himself up off the bed, Tony waited a good ten more minutes until Tim was really good and soundly asleep, before he slipped out of the bedroom and down to the bottom of the stairs so he could make a phone call.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"Boss, I got Probie to talk to me. We've got a problem on our hands…" Tony relayed the entire conversation he had just had with Tim and didn't miss the whispered curse that left Gibbs' mouth when he relayed Probie's last words. He waited patiently for his boss to process the information.

"Got it, Tony. Thanks. Keep up the good work and don't let him get stressed out. You need a break?"

"No. I'm not leaving him. I got him to open up now so I'm staying. He knows he can count on me when it gets bad, Boss and I want to be here for him when it does."

"Okay. I'll take care of things this end."

"Boss, he thinks he's lost your trust and respect; again. What do we do about that?"

"Tony, he's never lost either."

"He doesn't' seem to know that which brings me back to my question." Tony knew he sounded a bit like a petulant child but he didn't really care at the present moment in time.

"Yeah, I'm beginning to see that, Relax, Tony; I'll take care of it" Gibbs knew how Tony would be feeling Tim's pain at the moment and wanted nothing more than to pacify him and tell him everything was going to be ok. He couldn't though so did the best he could under the circumstances. It seemed to work though and Tony's quiet voice came through loud and clear.

"Thanks, Boss."

"And Tony?"

"Boss?"

"Good job"

"Thanks."

As he hung up the phone, Gibbs felt as though he'd been stabbed directly in the heart. So, they were back to Tim feeling like he had before they'd had those talks, were they? Why?

Looking back, over the last several weeks, Gibbs realized exactly where he'd gone wrong:

"_If you have any doubt, like you've had before that I'll protect her with my life; tell me and this whole idea will stop right here and now." _

_"That what this is about? You're worried that I don't trust you to take care of her?"._

_"That's part of it. _

_"Do you really think I would have given you the green light to break Rule 12 if I didn't trust you to take care of her and protect her?_

_"Guess I just needed to hear you say it, Boss."_

"You and Abby have a fight already?"

_"__You better not be ringing me to tell me something went wrong with Abby, McGee! Damn it, you know how much was at stake!"_

_"Your first reaction when I told you there was a problem, why was it that I had already screwed things up with Abby?"_

_"It's just, hearing that your first thought was that I'd screwed it up stung, like you'd already lost..._

Those snippets of conversation all fit together to create the wider picture. They provided an explanation as to what Tim's words to Tony actually meant and they fit perfectly. Gibbs had created this sense of failure in Tim, and it was only Gibbs that could fix it.

He remembered his own thoughts on the matter and sat back in complete contemplation.

_How many times had Tim done that over the years; allowed himself only a minute to deal with his internal conflicts, with no one noticing the lengths he'd gone through to hide the things he figured no one else on his team cared about? With his background and training, it wasn't something Tim had been prepared to have to do. Team Gibbs had obviously drilled it into him, but at what costs?_

He even remembered Ducky's words_:_

"_Jethro, I'm afraid this is most likely much more of a personal issue for the young man that even you or I can fully appreciate. Another setback, if you will, into being free of the dreadful incidents that have plagued him over the years. You simply need to recall our conversations with him on the subject to fully realize where his head might be at the moment."_

Gibbs shook his head to clear his thoughts. It was time to go talk to Ziva and then to Abby. The protection details had just been changed.


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N: Please forgive the delay.  
Buckle up, it's a bumpy ride for this chapter

* * *

_Pain was starting to seep his subconscious and slowly started to exacerbate the troubled dream he was already in the midst of. His mind began to meld his physical pain into every troubled stumble down memory lane; full of stumbling blocks and things he'd left behind him long ago. Even now, some of the things weren't so far behind and left him reeling with the sheer impact they were having.

Tim was pulled painfully out of sleep and lay there gasping as sudden, intense chest pain ripped through him; stealing his breath away long enough for him to lose the grogginess that sleeping had left him with. He was gasping for air like a fish out of water, something which only served to intensify the agony he felt as shooting shards of pain rendered him immobile. He held his breath in an attempt to ease the stabbing pain and for a short while it worked; or at least until his body's need to breathe took over and he inhaled deeply.

"Arghhh, crap!" The whispered curse that slipped from his mouth was an involuntary reaction as he clasped his hand firmly over the site of the pain and tried to squirm away from it.

Moaning loudly, he fumble blindly on the nightstand until his hand came into contact with something solid. Opening his eyes long enough to see what it was, he managed to make out the bottle of water that Gibbs had left there for him earlier that morning. With what little strength he could muster as he lay there fighting against the pain that assaulted him, he held his breath again to ease his discomfort. It was then he made the decision and leeched that strength away from his attempts to avoid the pain so he could pick up the water bottle and throw it against the wall; hoping and praying that it would bring Tony running when he heard it impact with the wall.

Tony was sitting on the bottom step of Gibbs' staircase with his phone was just finishing giving his boss the update that the older man had asked for earlier. Sighing heavily when the line went dead, he put his phone away and stood up to stretch out the kinks sitting there had created. He was mid stretch when an ominous bang from the bedroom above him stopped his heart momentarily and he soon found himself bolting up the stairs; taking them two at a time so he could get there faster. It didn't take long for Tony to reach his goal and he burst through the door to find Tim lying on the bed with the covers twisted around him. One hand was pushing against his chest and the other was fisting the sheets as wave after wave or sheer agony assaulted him. The thing that worried Tony the most was the fact that his friend was struggling to pull in breath and every inhalation was obviously causing his Probie inordinate amounts of pain; that in itself raised his panic to a whole new level, especially seeing as Tony had been there himself before.

"McGee! Hey, what's going on? Talk to me?" Tony had moved over to the bed and was currently perching on the edge with his hand squeezing Tim's shoulder.

"Ton….urts." Tim's answer was punctuated by harsh gasps and made Tony flinch with sympathy.

Digging his phone back out of his pocket, Tony quickly punched the button for Ducky's speed dial before hitting the speaker phone button. He set the phone down on the bed next to him so they could both hear the conversation. The phone started to ring and Tony placed himself in front of Tim; knowing that it was the only way Tim would listen to him or Ducky. He was completely taken back when he noticed Tim's chest had stopped heaving.

"McGee, you've gotta breathe, man." Tony grasped Tim's shoulder harder and gave him a sharp shake. "Hey! quit holding your breath!"

Tim shook his head in distressed denial of what Tony was telling him he had to do. It hurt far too much to breathe and it really wasn't worth it if it meant the agony would keep ripping through him. Unstoppable tears ran down his face and gave evidence to the immense experience he was having.

"Damn it, McGee! Take a breath!" Tony demanded urgently as panic started to bubble up. "PROBIE!..."

"Dr. Mallard" Ducky answered his cell as he headed up to the squad room and frowned heavily when the first thing he heard was Tony shouting firmly at Tim.

"_Ducky, you're on speaker; You gotta tell McGee to breathe, he's fighting it." _Tony's anxious voice came through the phone loud and clear

"Anthony? What on earth is the matter? Why is Timothy fighting to breathe?" Ducky sharp tone stopped the conversation that Gibbs and Ziva's were having mid word. Gibbs turned his focus onto his old friend and noticed the anxiety that etched the M.E's face. Ducky kept moving towards Gibbs and Ziva as he talked.

"_I dunno. I heard a bang, came up here and found him in bed in pain and holding his damn breath. McGee! I swear if you don't breathe I'm gonna….." _Tony was cut short by Tim finally giving in to his body's natural urges to inhale and he finally took in a long, loud torturous breath that was soon followed by a loud groan.

"Whatever's going on?" The M.E. asked urgently as he pointed to the elevator and kept going; knowing Jethro would follow him.

'_Hurts."_ It was the only thing Tim could say because every breath felt as though someone was driving small daggers through his chest.

"Timothy, breathing is causing you pain?" Ducky asked loudly so the young man wouldn't have to strain to hear his question. There was a brief pause in which Ducky could hear Tim's shallow breathing.

"Yeah." Tim wheezed out before his breathing became erratic once again as he tried to fight a way through the pain without holding his breath.

Gibbs caught up to Ducky and pushed the elevator button whilst Ducky continued to try to calm both the younger agents down. With every second that passed, he found himself getting more and more antsy and couldn't help fidgeting as they waited for the elevator to come. As soon as it was there, both men climbed in and Gibbs pushed the button to send it on its way; all the while keeping his ear trained to the conversation Ducky was having. He felt his heart start climbing up into his throat at Ducky's frantic attempts.

"Oh, Dear! Anthony, I think I may know what is causing this but I can't be sure until I see Timothy. For now you must help him regulate his breathing. No matter how much it hurts him at the moment, don't let him hold his breath and try to get him to breathe normally; it's too shallow right now."

"_You hear that Probie. You can't hold your breath and you need to quit with the shallow breathing. Come on McGee, you can do it." _Ducky waited patiently for Tony to finish before continuing.

"I want you to give him Tylenol right away, as soon as he takes them help him lie on the side that is causing him the most pain." Ducky instructed sternly.

"_Ducky, won't that make it hurt more?" _The panic was becoming more and more evident in Tony's voice.

"No, believe it or not lying like that helps alleviate the pain. If the pain is being caused by what I think it is that is. It I'm right then you will have to trust that it is the right thing to do. Place a pillow between Timothy and the bed if that makes it easier."

"_Ducky, Doesn't he need to be in the hospital? I'm an idiot, I should have rang and ambulance first."_

"For heaven's sake, calm down, Anthony!. Timothy needs you to keep a level head right now. I don't think he needs to be in the hospital and Jethro and I shall be there very shortly, Anthony. Don't leave him alone."

"_I won't." _

Gibbs reached over and plucked the phone out of Ducky's hand.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs forced himself to speak calmly, knowing Tony needed some reinforcement with this situation.

"_Boss?"_

"Stay calm. You can do this."

"_Ok. Stay calm, Right_." Tony's voice was anything but calm and Gibbs knew his agent was a bundle of nerves as his quick thinking mind thought the worst. He could almost hear what Tony was thinking and cringed when he heard Tim struggling in the background.

"Tony."

_"Boss?"_

"Calm. Down. Tim needs you." Gibbs reiterated his point and used Tim's first name hoping the repetition and the deliberate change of name for McGee would finally have the desired effect.

"_On it, Boss. It's just hard you know. I remember what this was like and …." _

"It's not the plague Tony." There it was, Tony's real fear laid out for all to hear.

"_I know, Boss. Doesn't make it any easier for Probie though." _

"We'll be there soon. Do what Ducky said and help McGee breathe. All right?"

"_Gotcha, Boss. I gotta go." _Gibbs heard the phone go dead and snapped Ducky's shut. He turned to his friend with a somber expression.

"How bad is this, Duck?"

"If it is what I think it is, then it's early enough to be able to treat it at home. Don't get me wrong, Jethro, it's extremely painful and Timothy will need to do exactly what I tell him."

"If it's not?"

"Then I foresee a trip to Bethesda in the not too distant future."

* * *

Tony took a deep breath and turned his focus back towards Tim. Luckily, Tim's medication was still sitting on the nightstand and Tony was pleased to see a box of Tylenol amongst them.

"Right ,McGee, you heard Ducky. I need you to take some meds." When Tim didn't answer Tony looked more closely and found him holding his breath again "HEY! Would you quit that! Jeez McGee, you heard the doc so cut it out already!"

Tim exhaled sharply and felt himself being pulled up by two strong arms.

"Tony….No stop….Stop please…hurts so bad….stop." Tim's pleading broke Tony's heart as he moved behind Tim to hold him. He popped 3 tables out of the blister pack and opened the retrieved bottle of water.

"Sorry, Tim, but I need you to take these. Ducky says you've gotta so no arguing with me all right?" Tony slipped the first of the Tylenol past Tim's lips and helped him take a swig out of the water bottle. "Good job. Two more to go."

Tony's coaxing finally paid off and before he knew it all three Tylenol had been taken. He shifted from behind the bed and gently laid Tim back down.

"All right, buddy, I need you to help me here." Tony grasped Tim's arm and exhaled loudly as he rolled Tim over to his side. He hadn't realized that Tim had been holding his breath again until he heard Tim letting go of it. As Tim's breath rushed out, so did the agonized moan of pain that went with it causing Tony to wince with sympathy. He'd been here before, sure it was a Dark Age disease and the symptoms were different, but he knew what it was like to struggle with every breath and it was something he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy, let alone his best friend.

"Easy, Tim. That's it, breathe for me, okay? Ducky and Gibbs will be here soon so I need you to keep doing what you are doing." Tony rubbed soothing circles on McGee's back whilst keeping up his comforting mantra.

_Come on guys. We need you!_

* * *

Ziva stood stock still in the middle of the squad room in shock. Hearing the conversation that Ducky was having shook her and knowing that McGee was having difficulty breathing did nothing but make her feel worry curling deep in her gut. She knew Tony was there, it was his turn on protection detail, and the fact that Tony was there dealing with it alone shook her. The conversation she'd been having with Gibbs a moment ago almost seemed to dissipate completely from her mind momentarily but something in her brain reached out and snagged a connection between the two. The conversation zoomed back into focus. She could see the whole scene play out in front of her as if she was watching a video.

_**10 minutes ago…..**_

_Ziva had just hung up the phone with the hospital where Alex was a patient and glanced up to see Gibbs standing in front of her desk. He didn't look happy and something told her that it wouldn't be long before she shared that sentiment too._

"_Ziva. I need you to keep your protection detail over Abby."_

"_Of course, Gibbs." Ziva answered back as if there hadn't even been any doubt that she would do that._

"_Ziva, I've made a few calls and Abby's gonna be staying with her Nun friends. I need you to stay with her." Gibbs didn't think beating around the bush would be the best plan of action and got straight to the point._

"_Nuns? May I ask why, Gibbs? How is it she is not staying under your roof anymore?"_

"_Let's just say right now, she is making that arrangement less than workable. I don't want McGee and Abbs staying under the same roof right now." Ziva's curiosity piqued at that but she stayed silent knowing that she would find out soon enough anyway._

"_May I remind you that I am Jewish, Gibbs. How will the nuns feel about me sharing their convent."_

"_Already told them that and it's not a problem. Nun's aren't racist Ziva. The question is; Can you handle staying in a convent?" Gibbs couldn't help but smile at that and watched as Ziva returned his sentiment._

"_Oh yes. If I can put up with you three on a daily basis then I am sure Abby and her Nun's will not be a problem. I will be respectful."_

_Ziva glanced up and saw Ducky making his way over to them._

"_Anthony? What on earth is the matter? _Why is Timothy fighting to breathe?" _"_

_**Present time….**_

As Ziva headed to Abby's lab, she was completely lost in thought and hoped that McGee would be all right. She was subconsciously fingering her gold Star of David as she offered up silent prayers for Tim. She was so lost in her own world that she was startled to find the door to Abby's lab looming in front of her; Dropping her hands down to her sides she pulled herself together and walked in with her mask slipped firmly in place.

"Abby." Ziva greeted the Goth as she walked over to the computer bench where she was sat.

"Hey, Ziva. What brings you down here?"

"You do actually. You and McGee."

"Oh? What about us? Did he say something?"

"Apparently, he is in too much pain to say anything, Abby. Ducky and Gibbs are on their way over there as we speak. Gibbs asked me to speak to you." Abby's head shot round and she glared at Ziva with fear in her eyes.

"About what? And what's wrong with Timmy?"

"We will not know what is wrong with McGee until we hear back from Gibbs. He asked me to speak to you about your protection detail. Gibbs has contacted your Nun friends and they have kindly agreed to let both you and I stay with them."

"What? Why?"

"Because for whatever reason, Gibbs does not want you and McGee staying together right now." This conversation was making Ziva feel more and more uncomfortable as it went on.

"Gibbs said that?" Ziva could hear the hurt in Abby's voice and had to stop herself from reaching over and pulling Abby into a hug.

"He did."

"Why didn't he come tell me himself?" Abby asked with obvious hurt.

"He was on his way to do just that when Ducky intervened to let us know that McGee is in trouble." Ziva explained.

"Trouble? What trouble? Talk to me, Ziva! You said he was in pain and now you're saying he's in trouble? Oh my God! Ziva, what's wrong with him." Abby stood up and started pacing.

"Apparently, he is having difficulty breathing right now." Ziva moved closer to Abby as she spoke and placed her hand on Abby's arm to still the movements.

"Oh, no! Is he gonna be okay? Please, tell me he's gonna be okay, Ziva!"

"Abby, Ducky and Gibbs will make sure he will be fine. Tony was very quick to call and alert Ducky to the problem."

"Oh no! Poor Tony. He must have been freaking out!"

"Apparently, he handled it well."

"Oh, God! Why is this happening? Everything was going great and then it all just went to hell!" Abby started to pace the lab again, she couldn't help it; it was just something that she did to help her thoughts work with the frenetic energy she carried. Ziva frowned at how upset Abby seemed at the moment.

"Abby, I must finish running this background check. Do you have more work to finish or would you like to come and sit with me in the squad room?"

"What? Uh..No I'll be fine, Ziva, I've got stuff that I need to do. I just wish someone would call with some good news on McGee."

"Ok. Do you mind if I use the spare computer down here. It is lonely upstairs when you are the only team member." Ziva sent Abby a warm smile and walked over to the computer when Abby nodded.

"Give them time, Abby," Ziva soothed as she carried on running her search for the information she needed. It would be tricky doing it right in front of Abby; but she had no choice now and opened up the software that she needed.

Gibbs and Ducky were racing towards the younger mans house when the M.E's phone rang shrilly; glancing at the caller ID, Ducky saw Tony's number flash up before answering.

"Anthony. How is Timothy?"

"_Ducky, he's not good. I did what you said and the pain eased but he's running a fever now. I've got cold cloths draped over his neck and forehead but they're not doing anything." _Tony's panicked voice was loud enough for Gibbs to hear.

"Duck?" Ducky held up his hand to silence Gibbs and carried on with his conversation.

"Have you taken his temperature?"

"_What with? Ducky, I doubt Gibbs has a thermometer tucked away somewhere_ so _how exactly do I do that?"_

"DiNozzo! Go into my bathroom and look in the medicine cabinet. There should be one in there." Gibbs had to shout to be heard but at this moment he didn't care how loud he got. "Damn it, Duck, put that on speaker, will ya."

Ducky did what Gibbs asked and listened to the sounds of Tony rummaging through something.

"_Got it! Damn, Boss, this is old!"_

"DINOZZO JUST TAKE MCGEE'S TEMPERATURE, DAMN IT!"Ducky reached over and slapped Gibbs on the back of the head, the action earning him a growl in response.

"Anthony, I doubt very much you will be able to get Timothy to keep it under his tongue. Hold it in his armpit for a minute or so and that will do the trick."

The silence hung in thick in the air as Tony held the thermometer in place. He pulled it free after a minute and cursed loudly.

"_102, Ducky."_

"All right. Keep applying the cool compresses and we'll be there soon." He hung up and glanced over towards Gibbs "I think it may be prudent to hurry Jethro. I don't like the sound of Tim's condition right about now."

Gibbs responded by putting his foot down whilst Ducky called for the EMT's; at this point he wasn't willing to take any chances with Timothy's life and from what he'd heard over the phone, the fever had come on suddenly and that mixed with the breathing difficulties left Ducky with no choice but to get a second opinion. He was also concerned about the sudden onset of the illness giving Tim reason to panic and having that problem to deal with as well as the pain he was experiencing with every breath he was taking, didn't leave room for error by diagnosing over the phone.

Gibbs gripped the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were pure white and he could feel ridges of the steering wheel embedding their patterns into his palm. Neither of which bothered him at the moment because his main focus was concentrating on the road ahead so he could be near his agents. His mind wouldn't stop racing any more than his heart and he felt a numbness spread downwards as he thought about how Tim was this morning. Sure the kid was upset, but who wouldn't be; there was no sign of illness though and Gibbs found the sudden change more than a little bit un-nerving. He was mentally cursing himself for not being more vigilant with Tim's health; he couldn't lose his agent…_one of his sons,_ hell none of them could. Tim was part of their team; their family, and if he was taken from them like this then the team's ability to cope would seriously be questionable. All this from some sick grudge over his relationship with Abby; in Gibbs' mind that was not acceptable and he vowed to find the person who was putting his agent through so much emotional and physical pain.

Reaching the house in record time, Gibbs snapped off his seatbelt and tore the key out of the ignition before getting out and slamming the car door shut. He beat Ducky to the door so he could get it opened without a moment's hesitation and stepped aside to let Ducky make a beeline for Tim upstairs. He followed suit and was soon taking the stairs two at a time to see his agent.

Gibbs entered his room and saw Ducky already kneeling at the side of the bed; Tony was leaning against the window sill looking shaky as Ducky went about checking Tim. Gibbs could see the relief etched into Ducky's face at Tim getting his breathing under control; but the fact that Tim's own face was pinched with pain and tears streamed down his face worried them all. It was true testament to how much their friend was hurting at the moment so Ducky didn't waste any time in going about his ministrations, hoping he could make Tim more comfortable soon.

"Timothy. Let's see what you have gotten yourself into shall we." Ducky took out the electronic thermometer and placed it in Tim's ear. "Well Anthony, it looks like we'll make a nurse out of you yet. Your quick thinking with the cold compresses has dropped his temperature to 101.2."

"I'm not sure nursing's for me Ducky. He gonna be ok?"

"I believe so." Ducky pulled out his stethoscope and placed them in his ears. "Jethro, would you help me with his shirt please."

Gibbs moved forward and between the two of them, they had managed to get Tim sat up and stripped out of the sodden T-shirt he had been wearing. Gibbs knelt down on the bed and let Tim's head rest on his shoulder.

"Hold him there please." He placed the end of the stethoscope on Tim's chest and was relieved to hear the clear breath sounds as air travelled in and out of the young man's lungs. He moved the end around Tim's chest and back until he heard the distinctive dry, crunching sound he had been expecting.

"Ahh Timothy. It seems I was right, dear boy." Tim raised his head up slightly and blearily glanced over to the M.E.

"Bout…what?"

"I believe you have Pleurisy, Timothy, though I would still like to get you checked out by the paramedics."

Gibbs' brow furrowed over this new revelation and he glared at Ducky until he could get answers.

"I'll explain it later Jethro. Right now all you need to know is that whilst this illness is painful at the onset, it is far less painful to recover from in the long term. With painkillers and NSAID's, sorry anti-inflammatory's, Timothy should recover well." Ducky saw Gibbs mouth start to open but stopped him dead in his tracks "Later Jethro. Right now I suggest we let the EMT's look at Timothy and then we can talk.

Ducky felt no compulsion to call off the EMT's; knowing everyone would feel better with their professional assessment of their ailing family member and so they waited patiently for the ambulance to arrive. Once the medic's had arrived, Gibbs guided Tony out of the bedroom and watched as his senior agent shrugged of his hand and stalked downstairs leaving him standing there on his own. Following suit, he made his way to the kitchen and started brewing a fresh pot of coffee.

It was a good thirty minutes later when the paramedics left and when they did, Gibbs moved back upstairs to see Ducky.

"How's he doing Duck?" He handed his friend a cup of hot tea and glanced down at Tim who was once again, resting on his side.

"He's going to be allright Jethro. It's going to take time because whilst the symptoms tend to disappear in 10 days or so; the effects can still be felt up to two months later. Right now, he needs to take his medication and rest." Ducky sipped at the welcome cup of tea in his hand "I have already written out a prescription for various medications that will help so I'll run out and get them as soon as I finish this."

"What does he need Duck? I'll need to know."

"Quite. He's already on painkillers so I've prescribed some ibuprofen to help with the inflammation. He will also need to take a codeine based cough syrup to control the cough he will undoubtedly develop." Gibbs nodded solemnly.

"He been sleeping long?"

"Heaven's no. The EMT's carry a lovely stock of strong painkillers which have pretty much knocked our young friend here out just a few moments ago."

"What caused it?" Gibbs quick fire questions were not to be unexpected and made Ducky smile.

"Pleurisy is the inflammation of the lining of the lungs. Our lungs are lined by the pleura which is a double layer. In between them, there is a thin layer of fluid that reduces the friction whilst breathing allowing the lungs to expand with ease. If they become inflamed then they fluid is greatly reduced and the two layers rub together. What signaled this was what we call Pleural friction rub; I heard the grating his chest made and knew straight away what the problem was."

Gibbs' head was reeling with the explanation but there was just one thing he needed to know.

"Was this caused by his injury, Duck?"

"Most likely, Jethro. One of the causes of the illness _is_ chest trauma, so I'll hedge my bets on that being the cause."

Gibbs swore under his breath and clapped his hand down on Ducky's shoulder. "Thanks, Duck. I'm gonna go talk to Tony. He's probably climbing the walls by now."

"I'll let you know when I leave." Gibbs nodded and headed out of the door.

He had no idea where Tony could be and after a careful check of the house, there was only one possible answer. Pulling open the door to the backyard, Gibbs was relieved to see his senior field agent even if he was pacing frantically on the grass in an effort to calm himself down.

"Tony!" Gibbs hoped he shouted loudly enough to be heard over what he knew had to be Tony's loudly racing thoughts., He didn't forget he had two anxious team members back at work waiting to hear this as well. Taking out his phone, he dialed Ziva's cell phone and waited for her to answer before he told them what they all needed to hear:

"He's okay. He's gonna be fine."


	24. Chapter 24

_A/N: Please forgive the wait in between chapters. _

* * *

Abby tossed and turned in bed for an hour before finally fisting her hands in her comforter with sheer frustration. She couldn't sleep despite Gibbs' promises that Tim was gonna be okay. She had sat patiently and listened as her boss told her that Tim was, quote 'just in a lot of pain and had a longer recovery to face than they'd realized' but still couldn't get her mind to shut down for the night; every time she closed her eyes, her mind was tormented by the sight of Tim lying in the hospital bed; Tim being injured; the hurt in his eyes as she let her selfish agenda rip into him and denied him her love and support. Every time she took a chance at finding peace within her troubled thoughts; some memory would come roaring back up at her and hold her mind in its clutches. They was relentless and seemed unwilling to let her forget what was really going on. One conversation seemed to act as an interlude to the vast collection of troubling memories.

"_But Gibbs! What Ducky said… what Timmy told him….all those things… have I really been that horrible to him?" _

_"Apparently, you have, Abbs." _

She remembered the meaningful glare that accompanied Gibbs' statement and shuddered. It wasn't one she was used to having aimed at her and she hoped she would never see it again. In her mind, Gibbs' words were louder and seemed to boom in contrast to her small childlike voice.

_"Why didn't he ever say anything to me?"  
_

_"Would you have listened?  
_

_"Gibbs!" _

Abby remembered feeling the surprise that washed over her at that statement and realized that he was right; All she could think of at that time was '_The truth really does hurt'  
__  
"Abby, would you have heard him out?"  
__  
"Probably not." _Admitting to her boss had been hard but paled in comparison to how hard it had been for her to admit it to herself._  
__  
"He knew that Abbs. That's why he doesn't say anything."_

_"Trying to get a different perspective on things he's gone through doesn't mean he thinks any less of you."_

That was the clincher and Abby remembered her heart breaking just like it was now. The memory faded into nothing leaving her feeling empty and guilty at her actions. It was short lived though and as she attempted to break free of the memory another one slipped into its place. This time, it was the memory of the first steps towards their relationship.

_"I'd like to see you happier. I think I can bring you that happiness." _

_"Thought we made our own happiness." _The small smile that curled Tim's lips had been enough to melt her heart._  
_

_"Timmy, you know that having a significant other; the right significant other can make a huge difference"_

_"Yeah, Abby. I know. I was there at one point, remember?"_

_"Does this mean, you're not gonna talk about what I heard? The way you've been so hurt and angry at me for so long?"_ Her tone had oozed sincerity as she'd tried to get him to open up.

_"You've heard it. I don't have anything to say that can change that or erase the truth from what you heard. The question now is, what do you want to do with what you know?"_

_"I want us to fix this, Tim!" _

_"Okay. How do you propose we do that?" _

She remembered looking directly into his eyes after he asked that question; the pale green color seemed to take on a new depth and she remembered thinking that at that moment, she could see his heart laid bare. That had been enough to make her open up to him.

_"Guess we need to start with me telling how sorry I am. I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry I took it for granted that you were okay with everything. I never looked very deep. I saw what I wanted to see, I guess."_

_"Seems like it."  
_

_"I am sorry, Tim. About everything. I promise; I'll change. I'll do better."  
_

_"I appreciate that, Abby. I do."  
_

_"Why is there a but in your tone?'  
_

_"I need time, Abby." _

n her mind's eye, she could still see him hang his head at that quiet admittance. It hadn't been malicious, it had been honest and almost pleading._  
__  
"Time? I don't understand. Time for what?"  
__  
"To think things through; to see a difference; to feel comfortable about it; about the idea of us; about the idea of having to worry about Gibbs' reaction if I happen to piss you off or something." _

_"Oh. Yeah. Okay. I think I see your point. How much time?"_

_"Abby, I have no idea who long it's gonna take. I'm sorry if you want this to work out sooner than later, but I can't do it like that anymore. I just can't put myself out there like that again, I'm sorry!" _

It may have been the initial steps towards happiness, but the memory hurt none the less. She'd finally managed to talk to Tim after everything she'd heard and after everything he'd kept to himself and locked away in his aching heart, he had finally dropped his walls and opened himself up to her.

Abby remembered how his honesty had twisted like a knife;_ Time? He actually needed time? Think? He had to __**think**__ about whether or not he wanted to date her?_

Still, even as he'd tried to stand up for himself, once he'd thought things through, he'd made his choice quickly and without reservation.

"_I'm willing to give us a chance. Abby, we are gonna take this slow, right."_

_Oh, yeah, of course, Tim. I know you're gun-shy now and need to take things slow, I get that. We'll take things as slow as you need us to." _

At the time, relief had washed over her in cleansing waves. Now? Well now the word twisted that blade of guilt until it physically tied her stomach into a big knot.

_"Ok. Great. Thanks for understanding Abby. Can we just keep it to dating for now?" _She had heard the relieved happiness in his voice; it had been wonderful to hear and left her feeling lighter than she had in ages._  
_

_"You mean like starting over?"  
_

_"Kind of. Definitely like take things way back toward the beginning."  
_

_"Yeah, I have no problem with that. I'm just glad you're willing to give us a second chance."" _

_"Me too. It means a lot to me that you're willing to give us a second chance, too, Abby."  
_

_"Nothin' doin, Tim. If I hadn't been so closed off to the idea of commitment, we wouldn't have to be almost starting over." _She had tried to keep her tone light at the time but Tim being Tim had seen right through her and had known exactly how much pent up regret she harbored.

_"Abby, don't please. Let's just start fresh all the way around, okay? Can we do that? Can we leave all the negative stuff in the past? We've both had bad experiences with looking for something in other people that we know's been here in each other the entire time. But, we still need to take it slow." _

_"Sure!"_

And even after all of that, Abby had still managed to push his buttons, push too far, too fast. But, dear Sir Galahad Tim McGee had held on for the ride;

_"Hmmm, you want company Timmy."  
_

"_One day I'll take you up on that offer Abbs, but right now we're taking it slow, remember?."  
_

_"Not like we haven't been there before McGee, what's the difference?" _

She had wanted …_did want…_that connection with him. She already had the emotional link and was pretty sure that a part of Tim's heart had always been devoted to her; but she had wanted that physical connection as well, she wanted him to hold her and bond to her in everyway possible._  
_  
"_We've already talked about this, Abby. I thought you understood. Thought we agreed. I don't want us to mess this up. I want this to work out." _

That is, until he'd been shot. Well, no. That wasn't quite the whole story and no matter how hard she tried, Abby couldn't hide from that fact that she'd helped create this mess; this horrible mess where Tim was not only recovering from being shot; but even before that by not reporting the creepy little things she'd noticed happening.

_Hadn't her experience with Mawher taught her anything? And what about everything she'd had to accept in the way of her own behavior toward Tim over the years? Hadn't she gotten the point? Hadn't she fully realized and accepted that her usual way of dealing with him wasn't right or good enough? What the hell was wrong with her?_

As she lay there trying to sleep, her eyes darting over to Ziva's resting form by the door of their guest room; she couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her face; tears of guilt and regret, hurt for what Tim was going through. She started to pander to her worry by listening to that niggle of unease that things weren't gonna get better any time soon, if at all! And that made her feel as though her heart and soul was missing a piece.

Abby found herself wishing Tim was telepathically tuned to her so she could relay the depth of her regret and the desperate need for him to forgive her. He was a forgiving soul, of that there was no doubt; but even the bravest of gentlemen have limits to their endurance and Abby knew that she'd pushed Tim past his. She wasn't stupid; she'd seen the signs; the biggest and most glaring one being Tim's willingness to hide out in Gibbs' bathroom. If that wasn't a slap upside the head to get her attention, she didn't know what was. But, why had she ignored it and plowed straight through whatever he'd been feeling? For some unknown reason, she had been hell bent on getting Alex off Tim's radar.

Whatever selfish, stupid, single minded reasons she'd had; no longer mattered to Abby. No, right now, the only thing that mattered was Tim. His health. His happiness. His forgiveness. The first two of those three things were non-negotiable and no matter what Tim must have them; the last one was more of a hope; a hope that Abby was clinging to with all of her might as her mind finally surrendered to the bone crushing exhaustion and fell into a much welcomed sleep.

* * *

It had been a long afternoon and evening for the guys and all three of them were now bedded down at Gibbs' for the night. They had been taking shifts sitting with Tim and Jimmy had drawn the short straw and caught the night shift. If anything, Jimmy was grateful because he knew his friend would probably sleep through the night; pain permitting that was. He sat back in the easy chair and watched Tim sleep. He couldn't help but frown at the pinched, pained look on that troubled face; something that even sleep couldn't eradicate.

Ducky had briefed them all in the morning before they took their turn. True to Ducky's predictions, Tim had slept for the remainder of the afternoon and he even had to be physically woken up for dinner. That in itself had been a stressful time asTim woke up groggy, disorientated and in pain; it had taken both Gibbs and Ducky a good while to orientate Tim to time and place and calmed down from his pain driven panic enough so that they could both explain exactly what was wrong with him before talking to him about the best way to help him heal without causing him inordinate amounts of pain.

Both older men told him that no matter what, he wasn't to hide his pain from them and that if he had any question or problems then he should talk to them about whatever it was immediately. Ducky even went so far as to let Tim know that what he was going through could get worse if they weren't careful, which is why complete disclosure of both his physical and emotional feelings was so critical.

Tim had listened to everything that he'd been told and his expressive eyes did all the talking as he tried to wrap his head around what he was being told. It wasn't only the pain but the explanations and warnings, as well as the attention and concern of all three of his counterparts that left him feeling overwhelmed and incredibly grateful for their support.

Dinner had been brought up to him after Gibbs and Tony had helped him get up to use the bathroom. They had left his dignity intact but waited outside of the closed door; both of them had been keyed up for problems to give him any more space than that. Once they'd gotten him back into bed and sitting up as comfortably as they possibly could considering the agonizing pain they couldn't treat until he ate something.

This was something that Tim had trouble with and the pain in his chest was making the soothing broth that Ducky had brought difficult to eat; he knew he had to though because the painkillers he was taking were strong and his stomach would trouble him later as well if he didn't. It was a precautionary but necessary measure because the M.E. didn't to risk his sensitive stomach giving him trouble.

Tim had taken one look at the bowl and quietly asked for it in the form of a drink with a straw. He felt too exhausted and weak to lift the spoon from the bowl so Ducky had taken it back down stairs and returned a moment later carrying a small mug with a straw. Tony grinned at Ducky and watched as Tim slowly sipped at the soup without using too much of his waning energy. To be honest, eating was the last thing he wanted to do and between the painful spasms in his chest and his emotional issues, he was drained and just wanted to be drugged up to the gills and sleeping soundly. He soon finished drinking his soup and even though it had taken a mere 10 minutes, he still felt drained at the end of it.

"Come on Probie, just a little bit more." Tony had kept up his litany of support and between the two of them, they managed to get Tim to finish the contents of the mug.

Ducky soon stepped in and handed Tim two white tablets that would guarantee a one way trip to oblivion for a short while. Whilst Tim slept, Tony carefully scruitinised his friend, needing to know that he was really okay. Once he was satisfied, he sat back in the chair and closed his eyes whilst Tim slept off the sedative effect of the pain killer. He found the chair uncomfortable though and soon moved to Gibbs' room to collect something that they all knew the boss was secretly proud of; Tim's books.

Gibbs and Ducky's shift was spent rearranging the furniture enough so that they could sit and keep watch more closely. The easy chair was now closer to the bed so that the silent guardians could be nearer Tim if he got into any difficulties. Ducky settled back and used the time simply listening to Tim breathing whilst Gibbs took to reading. Their main priority was letting Tim sleep so he could heal and get over both his injuries and the illness that those injuries had caused. They would deal with everything else later.

Despite Jimmy taking the nightshift, Ducky was unable to stay away and got out of bed to check on his young patient a couple of times. Thankfully, Tim's temperature had been downgraded to a low grade fever and the pain meds and anti inflammatory tablets seemed to be doing the trick. Once Ducky had been satisfied, he'd returned to bed.

Jimmy sat there watching Tim carefully. He didn't use his stethoscope to check Tim's breathing but listened out for any changes or pained moans which were few and far between. The night soon passed leaving a beautifully sunny morning in its' wake.

"Mornin' Palmer." Tony's cheery, whispered voice carried through the bedroom.

"Mor…Morning Tony." Jimmy's yawned reply made Tony frown as he walked over and perched carefully on the side of the bed.

"How's he been?"

"Fine. He woke up a couple of times but pretty much went straight back to sleep." Jimmy sounded weary as sleep threatened to pull him under.

"Go to bed and let the next shift start. You're dead on your feet."

"I'm good for now." Tony snorted at Jimmy's reply and clapped him on his shoulder.

"Yeah right! Go before Gibbs has your hide for killin' yourself."

"I couldn't leave him, Tony. Ducky and I are on shifts for a reason."

"No but you could've used this." Tony pulled out a baby monitor and smiled as realization spread across Jimmy's face "Now get because I have to leave for work and I need to tell Gibbs about Abby's fantastically good idea."

"Abby's idea?"

"ooh yeah! I spoke to her and she had the idea. I went out this morning and bought these." Tony stood and placed the monitor on the nightstand "I gotta go so I'll catch you later. I'll set the other monitor up where Ducky can hear it. Between the two of you, you've got him covered. Both of you remember to keep your weapons where you can use them if you need to, you hear me?"

"Yeah, Tony. I hear you. I promise, we'll protect Tim while you guys are gone. See you later, Tony."

Tony left for work leaving Jimmy sitting in the easy chair. It wasn't long before he finally drifted off. He wasn't aware of the figure that walked in and draped a blanket over him. Gibbs smile as Jimmy nestled in to the blankets and started to snore. He glanced at the baby monitor and smiled before leaving to go to work. He knew Ducky was already getting up and would soon be in to relieve Palmer. Hell, knowing Ducky, he'd most likely shoo his assistant off to a real bed any minute now.

Turning his thoughts to what needed to be done this morning wiped all traces of a smile off his face. The culprit behind this nightmare still needed to be apprehended; leaving both Gibbs and Tony with a fierce determination burning in their guts. No matter what, they were going to find the person responsible and make him pay for the damage that had been done. Gibbs hoped with all his might, for Abby's sake, that this bastard wasn't Alex. But, his gut was screaming at him that he knew better. Either way, the boss wouldn't be satisfied until they got this culprit behind bars where he belonged.


	25. Chapter 25

_A/N: We apologise for the delay._

* * *

Tony made a quick, quiet unannounced trip to Tim's apartment to collect some clothes for his friend. It was one thing that he knew would at least make Tim feel more comfortable. He walked into the bedroom and pulled open the door to the wardrobe, pausing briefly at the door whilst he remembered conversations from days gone by when he'd visited the apartment.

_"Aww, look, he eats dinosaur cereal." _Tony grinned broadly at the memory of Kate standing in Tim's small kitchen. It was one of those moments where they had picked Tim up and barged into his apartment; only to find the Probie wearing an old T shirt and boxers.

"Damn McGee, feels empty without you here man." Tony whispered gently to himself as he made his way through. He started rummaging through the wardrobe and found a small suitcase sitting at the bottom. He picked it up and placed it on the bed before turning back to the wardrobe. Another set of memories assaulted him.

"_You got any party clothes McGeek?"_

"_Tony."_

_**"**__Baby, you aren't going to be scoring in any of this stuff."_

Tony still didn't know how, but Tim's frustration and worry had somehow undone him. His own empathy at the situation had won out and he soon found himself pouring out his soul about the first time he'd shot someone. He cringed at the next part of his memory; the part where he actually admitted to wetting himself at the fact that he'd shot someone.

"_Oh yeah, there's some memories in this apartment." _Tony thought as he rifled through the clothes and found his friends t-shirts and sweat pants that would be comfortable for Tim to wear. The bag was packed in no time at all and after one last trip to the bathroom to collect Tim's favorite toiletries, he made his way out.

As Tony was locking the door, he remembered seeing the pile of mail that had been placed on Tim's computer desk and went back inside to get it. He knew that Sarah used the apartment for a bit of peace and quiet to study while Tim was at work and that she had mid terms coming up, so it was a fair bet that she was the one to pick up the mail and put it somewhere Tim could see it. He glanced through the stack and felt relieved that everything looked pretty innocuous, just a few bills; some statements but…

"What the hell?"

Sitting to the side of the mail was a shoe box size parcel wrapped with a black ribbon tied around it. The parcel was made out to Tim and had been bought up with the mail and settled to the side without a second thought. Tony pulled a pair of latex gloves out of his pocket and picked the box up gingerly so he could pull it to his ear. He was surprised by how light it was and there was no ominous sounds that could signal a bomb…._or at least he hoped it wasn't._

He grabbed Tim's mail and the box and hightailed it in to work The trip had been on the sly because he was taking no chances of picking up a tail or being traced, bugged or taken by surprise by whoever this bastard was. He even turned his phone off as soon as soon as he sent Ziva a cryptic text message:

_Running an errand. Be in by 9._

It took Tony the better part of an hour and 15 minutes to make in to work after he'd sent the text message but he made it without incident. Once he was close to work, he turned his phone back on and checked in with Ducky to see how his Probie was doing. Ducky managed to put his mind at ease that Tim was resting comfortably but there had been no change in his condition but there was still a nagging feeling right at the back of his mind and the fact that there had been a small package waiting for Tim at his apartment disturbed him. It was a combination of things that his trained investigator's eye caught and it wasn't just because there was no return address and the postmark was from D.C., but the fact that the familiar black ribbon had been tied around it; the whole thing made the hairs on the back of Tony's neck stand up and he was grateful for the fact that he still had a pair of crime scene gloves stashed safely in his pocket. As he drew closer to work, he started to feel antsy to get the box to Gibbs. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Ducky again.

"Hey Ducky. He really all right, I mean I know you said he was but you know,.."

"Anthony, you only called a few minutes ago! He's fine, as is Mr. Palmer is. I'm seeing to it that both of them sleep for most of the morning. We have been given the remainder of the day off and we don't have any guests in autopsy. But, do call us if you get a case, won't you?"

"Sure, Ducky. You tell Probie that I said to hang in there and not give you any grief about his meds or eating!"

"Certainly, Anthony, although the poor boy isn't up for much of giving anyone a hard time about anything for the near future."

"I know, Ducky. The pain'll go soon though, right?"

"Yes, Anthony. Fear not, he will be feeling better soon. As I told you before, he is resting at the moment."

"Good. Okay, Gotta go, Ducky."

Tony ended that call and sucked in a huge breath. This was one phone call he was not looking forward to but there was no way he could just walk up to his boss's desk and hand him the parcel. He fumbled with the phone and managed to hit the speed dial.

"Where the hell are you?" Gibbs barked into the phone.

"Parking my car in the lot. We need to talk." Tony answered cryptically and abruptly ended the call. There was something telling him that they were being watched; he couldn't explain it; it was just a feeling deep in the pit of his stomach which made him more wary about the fact that they were being observed a hell of a lot more than they realized.

Gibbs shot up out of his chair at Tony's cryptic answer to his demanded question and quickly took himself over to the elevator. The wait was agonizing and the fact that Tony hadn't disclosed any information before hanging up made the situation more urgent than he would have liked to admit. He was soon walking over to Tony's car and when he got there, he was met with a worried silence that spoke volumes. Gibbs glanced down at the package that Tony was still holding in his gloved hands and felt his eyebrows rise slightly in question. Tony shook his head and with a silent understanding, they both made their way back to the elevator. As soon as they were moving, Gibbs flipped the emergency stop and turned to his senior agent.

"Talk to me."

"Boss, I ran up to Probie's apartment to get him some clothes and his mail was sittin' on his computer desk. I didn't tell anyone because the evidence is telling me that this guy; whoever he is; has eyes and ears on us, the problem is, we're blind to it and we're just not seeing everything that we need."

"Okay. So, your gut's screamin at ya?"

"Screaming? Hell yeah, and this little gift has sent it into a full blown shriek that only dogs can hear!" Tony answered back as he pointedly raised the package enough to catch Gibbs' attention.

Gibbs gazed down at the package and frowned at the adornments before pulling out his phone and hitting one of his speedial numbers.

"Hey. I need a favor and I need it to stay quiet." He listened patiently to the voice on the other end f the phone.

"Yeah. Yesterday."

"Thanks."

Gibbs flipped his phone shut and turned the elevator back on. The silence in the cab hung in the air heavily and was borne completely out of their anger and worry. When they got to the squad room, Gibbs led the way up to Vance's office and without missing a beat he glanced briefly at Ziva.

"Ziva." Was all the notice he gave his other agent as they kept going, knowing she'd catch up.

As they were ushered into the Director's Office without any waiting Tony was lightening quick to ask

"You had any exterminators in here lately, Director?"

Vance dropped his toothpick before he managed to close his mouth and let his brain catch up to DiNozzo's blatant worry and rising anger. It was such a rare combination to be seen on the man. that it took a minute for the shock to wear off. Gibbs' momentary smirk at Tony's forthright demeanor didn't help.

As he opened his mouth to give Tony a piece of his mind, he caught the glare that was now emanating from Gibbs; it was one that spoke of anger and the need to actually know the answer to DiNozzo's question.

_What the hell was going on here?_

Tony put his finger to his lips and shook his head slightly; the simple motion shocked Vance further and he couldn't help but raise his shoulders in a silent question that would hopefully get him his answers. It was strange knowing that his question had been fully understood and he watched as Tony pointed towards the legal pad that sat on the Directors desk.

Vance nodded and wrote something down on paper and showed it to the agents standing before him.

"3 days ago."

Tony read the answer and frowned before taking the pen and scribbling down his own answer to the Vance's silent, questioning shrug.

"Need to do it again ASAP. No time to explain; just get someone in here."

Vance looked at Gibbs with both daring and a challenge and Gibbs simply nodded his head in affirmation before sitting down to wait for the sweep to be carried out. He narrowed his eyes slightly at the team leader and moved towards his computer, only to be halted by Tony's firm hand on his wrist, looking up at the younger agent, he saw the nod and knew then that whatever this was about, was serious.

He watched Tony and Ziva join their supervisor at the table and stepped out of his office to request that his assistant make the necessary arrangements right away. There was something very wrong here and things just kept getting more and more strange. As the bug sweep was soon carried out and completed. Vance kept wondering if he'd entered the "Twilight Zone" and whether or not he should order the mandatory psych evaluations early, but since there was something obviously serious going on with his men, he bit his tongue and waited the situation out.

Everyone sat in companionable silence as the technicians packed up their equipment. It was only after the sweep was done and the two techs had finally left did any of them dare to speak. Gibbs sat back and let Tony take the lead; he listened intently as Tony explained what was going on and what he suspected. In the midst of Tony's explanation, they were interrupted by a loud knock on the door and before anyone could respond, Tobias Fornell barged his way into the room.

"Gibbs. What's going on? You sounded the alarm for help."

Gibbs pointed to the package on the table. "Need you to run this through your lab, Tobias. Need it done yesterday. Chain of evidence is crucial."

"There a reason why Ms. Scuito isn't doing it?" Fornell asked. It was an unusual request and given that NCIS had a fully functioning lab that could do the work; to say he was confused didn't even come close.

"She's too close to this." Gibbs answered bluntly as he looked square at Vance as if offering him the explanation rather than Fornell.

"Ah. Okay. This is about your boy getting shot? How is he anyway?"

"Agent McGee is recovering. Since this came from his apartment and has no identifying information from the sender, we have to go with the belief that Agent DiNozzo is correct and that the person responsible is still gunning for Agent McGee." Vance jumped in before anyone else; earning him a couple of scowls.

Fornell nodded and signed the chain of custody documents without further comment before taking the sealed evidence and heading with a team of agents that seemed to appear from nowhere to escort him to his car.

"Ziva, Tony, get back on Alex's paper trail. Let's get this guy before anyone else gets hurt." Gibbs' orders were laced with worry and frustration making his instructions seem more meaningful; not that Tony and Ziva were going to argue, their friend was injured and sick because of this guy and they wanted nothing more than to catch him and put him back where he belonged. They knew there was no time to waste and soon got back to running the searches and gathering as much information as they could because for some reason, that little package sent a whole new shiver of unease down their spines.

Barely thirty minutes later Gibbs' phone rang.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"_Gibbs, whoever this bastard is has been all over your people's apartments."_

"Talk to me Tobias." Gibbs said and pressed the speaker button so that his agents could get the information first hand.

"There's a video in here of your man leaving the hospital and getting into your car." There was a collective intake of breath and the only sound at that comment was Tony and Ziva's curses; one In English and one in Hebrew making it sound much worse than it was.

"Son of a bitch!"

"Mamzer!"

Gibbs was just as angry but needed to concentrate so he snapped his fingers for their silence so he could hear the rest of what Fornell had to say.

"We also have a pair of leather handcuffs, a necklace and a photo showing your Ms. Suito wearing the very same necklace. And your man's with her in the photo. Oh and a bullet tied with a black ribbon"

"You find any prints?" Gibbs forced himself to push past the anger at what he was hearing; needing to get every single detail he could.

"Oh yeah, Got one of those, too. Just one though. Lucky for us it's good enough for a match. Your perp is…."

"Alex Greene" Ziva, Tony and even Gibbs announced in tandem with Fornell.

"Wait a damn minute! If you already knew who it was, what the hell did you drag the FBI into it?"

"Because, Fornell, we needed your unbiased lab results to prove it." Gibbs reassured his friend that the FBI's efforts hadn't been in vain.

"Oh. Okay. Anything else?"

"Not at the moment, unless you can tell me where he's at."

"No. Afraid, I don't have that answer for you." Tobias sounded almost regretful at not being to tell them more.

"It's all right. You gave us the name. We'll do the rest. "Thanks, Fornell."

"No problem, Gibbs. You do owe me one, though."

"Yeah. Got it." Gibbs answered ended the call before hitting the speaker button for his desk phone.

"Abby Suito" the lab rat answered her phone in a subdued tone that left no doubt she was not herself today.

"Abby. Need you to come up here a minute. Now!" Gibbs didn't beat around the bush and ended the call before Abby could complain or argue with his order.

It didn't take long for Abby to arrive in the squad room and the fact that Gibbs hadn't greeted her with his usual fatherly welcome made it obvious that the man was in no mood for dealing with anything but the reason why she had been summoned. If Abby was going to honest with herself, she was pleased because at that moment in time, she wasn't really interested in doing anything but making right with Tim and since she knew she wouldn't be allowed to do that anytime soon after the way she had acted, that made her down right miserable.

"Tony." Gibbs said cryptically as he headed over to Ziva's desk to confer with her about where

the paper trail had led them so far.

Tony took his cue and headed over to Abby. He laid supportive hands on her shoulders as he bought her up to speed with the facts about the case and once he was done, he pulled the photo's of the evidence that Fornell had sent via email and stayed close as Abby viewed every last image; it wasn't long before her knees buckled and Tony had to help his trembling friend over to his chair.

"No! This can't be right!"

"There!" Ziva exclaimed from her desk, still hot on the trail of their culprit. "He's at The Comfort in Silver Spring. Wait! That address; 7990 Georgia Avenue; that is not far from McGee's apartment!"

"Let's Roll! Abby, you go up to the Director's Office until he assigns you an agent or tells you otherwise."

As Abby turned to face him, her shock at the evidence was still written all over her face and made it difficult to fully understand what was being asked as she struggled to catch up to the newest development.

"Gibbs! What's….?."

"Go, Now! We're wasting time!" Gibbs barked as he and his field agents headed to the elevator. He held it open until she disappeared up the stairs and into the director's Office; Luckily Tony had already called Vance and filled him in on the latest development and had made sure that Abby was protected and being figuratively sat on. That made it easier for the team to leave and they filed out to the parking lot and piled in Gibbs' car.

While enroute to the hotel, Ziva filled Gibbs and Tony in on what she'd found out. "Apparently, he has not tried to hide his activities. His bank records are a road map even a novice could read."

"Good thing for us and for McGee." Tony answered shortly, still wanting a piece of this scumbag so badly he could taste it.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs reined him in, knowing full well what was running through his head at the moment.

"Yeah, Boss. I know. By the book." Tony answered with a dejected tone that betrayed his emotions. He knew where his boss's head was at, so there was really no point in arguing with the man; instead, he took the warning to heart and pulled in his emotions.

"Ziva." Gibbs likewise warned his more dangerous agent and glanced at her in his rearview mirror. Her face was stony and resolute and it was an obvious struggle to actually follow his orders. A dangerous smirk glanced across her face, but was soon gone and he steel façade was put firmly back in place.

"Yes, Gibbs. I too understand. I am not allowed to dismember him or dispose of him in any way."

"Good. Don't want this bastard getting' off on a technicality or a screw-up on our part." Gibbs threw that piece of information out there with an edge of steel in his voice that made it an order. He didn't like it any better than his agents did, but in order to keep Tim and Abby safe, everything had to be done the right way.

"Where does Abby dig these gems up, any damn way?" Tony asked bitterly as the cogs in his mind whirred dangerously.

"DiNozzo! Don't even let me hear of you repeating that to her!"

"I won't, Boss. But you gotta admit…I mean 1st Mahwer and now this dirtbag?"

"Tony. This dirtbag was in Abby's life before she started working at NCIS." Ziva reminded him. Her voice had taken on that cold edge that told the two men exactly how pissed off she was at the situation.

"All the more reason why McGee was the perfect guy for her. What the hell's wrong with Abby anyway?"

_**THA-WACK**_

"Ow! Got it, Boss. Focusing on the case." Tony replied as he rubbed the back of his head. The rest of the journey was spent in silence as everyone mentally prepared themselves for the take down. It was weird, but no matter what, they had to summon up that last little bit of reserve to actually do this by the book.

It only took them a further 10 minutes to reach the hotel and as Gibbs pulled up to the curb, he gave his agents one last warning before heading inside to the front desk.

"Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS. Can you tell me what room Alex Greene is In?" He watched as the receptionist blanched and pulled the reservation up on screen.

"He's in Room 306. Is there a problem?" Gibbs ignored her question and responded curtly.

"We'll need access to that room. Have you got a master key that will get us in?"

"Agent Gibbs, I can't give the keys out to you or…"

"Ma'am, this is a federal case you are interfering with. We need to get in that room and if you won't help then we'll find other means." Gibbs' anger started to rise at the young girl in front of him. He understood she had a job to do but this was a serious situation and there was no way he was walking out of this hotel without trying first.

"I'll get the manager." She reached over and dialed the manager's office. Before they knew it, A tall, slim woman walked over to them with an extended hand.

"Agent Gibbs, I'm the manager of this hotel; I understand you want to gain entrance to one of our guest's rooms."

"Yeah, Room 304. The man that is staying there is a part of an ongoing investigation." Gibbs didn't want to give her all the facts so laid it out as simply as he could. The manager turned towards the receptionist and held her hand out.

"Lisa, I'll need the master key card please." Once the card was handed over she smiled at the three agents before her "This way please."

The manager of the hotel showed Gibbs, Tony and Ziva up to the room and handed over the keycard.

"Please, don't make too much noise or draw attention to this. It's not good for business."

"No problem. I need you to go back downstairs and we'll return the key once we've done." They waited for her to leave before turning back to the door. Tony knocked once and announced their presence in hope that the guy would have the good sense to open the door and come quietly. He was met with complete silence so Gibbs reached over and swiped the key card down the lock; once the light turned green, Tony and Ziva stood to one side of the door frame with their weapons at the ready whilst Gibbs stormed inside wielding his gun.

"Clear!"

"Clear here too, Boss"

Gibbs was walking through the hotel room and relaxed slightly at his agents cries that let him know there was no immediate danger. It was shortlived though when he came across something that sent chills down his spine and shook him to the core. Sitting on the dresser was a makeshift shrine that was surrounded by various pictures of Abby. The shrine was adorned by two large, black pillar candles which lay in the midst of what looked like a collection of Abby's personal belongings; Perfume, jewelery and clothing were amongst the most prominent. He turned his head slightly and called out to his agents.

"Tony!, Ziva! This is definitely our guy. Get in here!."

Gibbs heard the sharp intake of breath at the sight before them and he was shaken out of his sickened silence by Tony's quiet, frightened voice.

"Boss, I think we've got a problem."


	26. Chapter 26

_A/N : We apologise for the delay._

_I would like to take a minute to thank each and every one of you who has not only read this, but remained with us for the journey_

_and I would like to especially thank those of you are kind enough to review the chapters._

_To those of you who have blown us away by making this story one of your favorites; we thank you so very much!_

_And, to those of you who have gone one step further; and placed me on your favorite author list - I thank you from the bottom of my heart as I make 1 small request of you - as this story is very much a joint authorship - please be so kind as to place Shelbylou on that list, too._

_This Chapter is Shelbylou's brainchild - for this you will need to fasten yourseatbelts and keep all hands and feet inside at all times.  
Sincerely - Smartkid37_

_Shelbylou - you rock!_

* * *

Tony stood there gaping at the scene before him. _How the hell did this guy get all this stuff? What did it all mean?_ Questions raced through his mind as he gazed upon the shrine to Abby.

"DiNozzo! Get on the phone and get Balboa's team out here!" Gibbs barked order startled him out of his thoughts.

"Boss?"

"We're too close to this and I want this guy! No matter what, we look at the chain of evidence; in our hands it's compromised evidence and he gets off."

"But, Boss…." Tony couldn't believe what he was hearing. They were going to pass it on to another team without a second thought; something that Tony was reluctant to do given the fact that it was his best friend suffering for this psycho's obsession.

"No buts DiNozzo. Call Balboa's team now and get them here to process this stuff! By the book Tony! Tell them Fornell's gonna be picking up the slack with the labwork." Gibbs felt too damn angry at what he was seeing to actually process the evidence and the idea of the consequences of his team handling it all made his gut clench.

Tony glared at his boss for a minute and stalked off into the hall to make the call.

"Gibbs, maybe we should wait for the other team to arrive and then go and see McGee? I would like time to get Abby to the convent soon." Ziva piped up; she really didn't want to stay there any longer knowing that it they still had to keep Abby safe as well as Tim.

"Yeah. I'll call Ducky to let him know we're on ou….hey, you ok?" Ziva's gaze fell upon the mirror that sat in the middle of all the photographs; Gibbs watched as her jaw set into a grim line.

"Look." Was all she could offer as she turned towards the wall behind them. Gibbs turned and sucked in a sharp breath at what he saw; more pictures, this time though, they were of Tim.

Pictures taken at different times, in different places formed a giant mosaic on the back wall. They all depicted Tim's relationship with Abby in one way or another; from him picking up a bunch of flowers for the first date all the way to Tim being helped into Gibbs' house after he had been shot.

"Damn it! Tony was right! This guy's been watching us and knows where Tim is?" Gibbs stormed out of the room with his phone in hand and brushed past Tony as he made his way back into the room.

"Balboa's on his w…Woah, Boss, where's the fire?"

"Get an agent over to my house ASAP! That son of a bitch does know where Tim is and I want a protection detail on him NOW!"

Tony stood there stunned and glanced at Ziva. She was transfixed on something on the wall so he followed her gaze until he met…

"What the hell is that? It's like heaven and hell! First we've got the god awful shrine to Abby and now this?"

"Tony there is no point in getting upset." Ziva's voice was completely neutral as she stared murderously at the wall.

"DON'T GET UPSET? Ziva, someone is out to get McGee to the point that they have their very own little wall of hatred and you tell me not to get upset?"

"What good will it do Tony?" There it was again, that cool, collected tone that left Tony wondering whether or not she was going to snap this guys neck like a twig when they found him.

"Oh yeah! Because you are doing such a good job of that right about now!"

"Phone Vance and get Tim the extra protection he needs Tony. I am not going to stand here arguing with over this; I will however make sure to torture Alex Greene without leaving a mark." With that she walked out and left Tony there to make the call.

Ducky walked out of the Tim's room with a deep rooted frown on his face. The young man was not doing well at all and despite their best efforts, he had developed a mild infection; It wasn't serious though, just bad enough to warrant a course of antibiotics. He closed the room behind him and jumped when his cell phone started to ring.

"Dr. Mallard."

"Duck."

"Ahh Jethro. I was meaning to call you; I have prescribed young Timothy some antibiotics to go with his other medications and I wanted to discuss this with you. Mr. Palmer has kindly agreed to collect them for us."

"What's wrong?" Gibbs sharp tone surprised Ducky.

"Nothing major, Jethro. His cough started to sound a little bit wet and when I checked his lungs there was a slight rasp signaling a small infection. Nothing at all to worry about."

Fine. Listen Duck, Alex Greene knows where McGee is so we've got an agent coming over to you. Don't open the door or leave the house until I say so." Gibbs' tone made it clear that his orders were to be followed no matter what.

"Of course. We've already double checked the locks on the windows and doors and they are firmly locked, the house is secure."

"Good idea, Duck. Hey, don't worry all right? Someone will be there soon and we're gonna head back soon."Gibbs felt his anger melt away as he tried to pacify his friend. One saving grace in all this was the fact that at least Tim had his weapon nearby and Ducky still had the one Gibbs had forced on him, too as well as easy access to Tim's.

"I'm going to go and sit with Timothy. Will you call when you are outside?"

"Yeah. Stay alert"

"Understood." Gibbs ended the call and Ducky walked back into the bedroom not wanting to be separated from Tim.

Tim woke up feeling too hot, sweaty and his chest ached relentlessly with every breath. All in all he felt sick as a dog but didn't want to worry the M.E. by asking for more meds. Movement at the side of the bed made him roll over onto his back, the very movement eliciting a small groan out of Tim.

"Timothy? Are you awake, young man?" Ducky's soft, soothing voice washed over him.

"Ducky?"

"Yes Timothy, I'm here. Do you want to try sitting up slightly? It might help ease the pressure on your chest." He moved over to the side of the bed and placed his hand on his young friend's forehead. "Tsk. The good news is that your temperature isn't any higher than before, though I think we need those antibiotics rather quickly if we have a chance of nipping this in the bud."

"S'okay Ducky. You go."

"I can't, dear boy. It seems our little friend has figured out where you are and we cannot leave the house. I've already spoken to Mr. Palmer and he is going to write the prescription and bring it over as soon as he can." Tim's face scrunched up at Ducky's statement…figured out where they were? How did that happen?

"How?"

"How what? I am afraid I don't understand."

"How… he find me here?" Tim was totally confused and disorientated as the information settled in. His mind wanted the answers to the questions that he had but unfortunately his body had other ideas and he started struggling to toss of the covers so he could get out of bed.

"Timothy! Lay back down. There is nothing you can do in the condition you are in."

"Bathroom." Ducky finally understood that his young friend actually needed to take care of business and wasn't getting up to defend them from whatever might happen.

"Oh. I apologise, here let me help." Ducky reached down and placed both hands underneath Tim's arms so he could help him sit up. The M.E. felt a pang of sympathy when Tim gasped loudly before clenching his lips together to stop the pained whimpers from escaping. "There you go, swing your legs out, that's it Timothy. Do you need help walking to the bathroom."

"I got it, Ducky.. not too bad … not… far." Tim managed to get out as he started to make his way to the bathroom but his pain won out and Ducky had to catch him before he tumbled to the floor.

"Timothy. No argument. Come, lean on me." He wrapped Tim's arm around his shoulders and supported his friend to the bathroom. It was no easy feat given the size difference but he soon had Tim' situated so he could take care of business.

"I'll be outside Timothy. Let me know when you are ready to go back." Once Ducky had closed the bathroom door, his cell phone rang again.

"Hello."

"Ducky, we're on our way back now. It's gonna take us half hour to get there. McGee all right?"

"He's find Jethro. He's in the bathroom right now, but would you be as kind as to stop off at NCIS to get the antibiotics Mr. Palmer picked up. He was going to bring them later on tonight but I think we need them sooner rather than later."

"Sure thing, Duck. I've just got off the phone with Vance and there's two guys stationed outside now. One front and one back. Don't….."

"Leave the house or answer the door. I know, Jethro."

"All right, Duck. See you soon." Gibbs ended the call leaving Ducky with a deep sense of foreboding and fear for their safety. Not only did Tim have a target painted on his back, they now knew where to find him and that was something that left the M.E's gut clenching dangerously.

"Please hurry, Jethro."

Gibbs walked into Autopsy with a heavy heart and scanned the room for signs of life..._Huh, no irony there then. _He didn't have to wait long as Jimmy blustered out of the back office reading a file that had been left.

"Palmer." Jimmy jumped at Gibbs' voice and nearly dropped the file.

"Agent Gibbs. I presume you're here for these." He walked over to the small desk against the wall and picked up a small pharmacy bag. "These are the ones that Dr. Mallard asked for. Is McGee all right?"

"Yeah. I think it's more of a precaution right now." The lie was blatant and Gibbs hated doing it but he couldn't risk anyone else visiting the house right about now and given Jimmy's friendship with his agent, it was a given that the man would want to be there.

"Oh. I was wondering whe..."

"Maybe later, Palmer. McGee needs to rest and he's in the best hands."

"I know. " Jimmy glanced down at the floor "It's just...I know what's going on and I worry. Is there anything I can do?"

"Not right now." Gibbs took the medication and turned to leave. A feeling of regret washed over him and he turned back to Jimmy. "But thanks. If there is anything you can do I'll give you a call."

He watched the young man brighten slightly at that and offered him a small smile.

"Thank you, Agent Gibbs."

"You're welcome. Actually, there is something you can do."

"Ok." Jimmy sat down on the stool and fiddled with the file in his hand.

"I need someone to phone the hospital in New Orleans where Alex Greene was a patient. You'lll know the medical lingo so I'd like you to do it. I'll have his file send down to you so you can have a look at that first."

"What do you need to know?" Jimmy couldn't help but feel pleased that he was being included in the investigation and practically swelled with pride.

"His file tells us what's wrong with him; not what kind of person he was when he was there. I need to know how he was with the Doctors, nurses and other residents." Gibbs reeled of what he needed but was sure there was something else; for now that information would be a big help.

"When do you need to know by?"

"ASAP. I don't want this guy out there any longer. Thanks Jimmy." Jimmy physical blanched with surprise at Gibbs' uncharacteristic use of his first name.

"You're welcome. If you can have the file sent down to me i'll read through before ringing." Gibbs nodded and headed out of autopsy. He stood at the lift and waited for it to arrive knowing that no matter what, Palmer would do what he could to get him the information he needed leaving his team hands free to find Alex; preferably before he found Tim.

"Gibbs." Gibbs straightened from his bent position at his desk and glanced up to see Vance walking down the stairs from his office. "What's your progress?"

"Good to see you have your priorities, Leon. McGee's not doing so well, thanks for asking." The sarcastic tone didn't go amiss with the director and he narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"I know that already _Agent Gibbs._ I've just got off the phone with Dr. Mallard. Don't you think it'll be a moot point if we let Alex Green get to your man? So how about we cut the crap and get back to the case."

"Alex Green was staying at a hotel near McGee's apartment. I've got Balboa's team working the scene right now because there was some kind of shrine to Abby and a photographic mosaic of McGee on his wall."

"What kind of Mosaic?" The director looked shocked at what Gibbs had told him and pulled the toothpick out of his mouth.

"it was kinda like a timeline that started from their first date all the way to us getting him home. He knows where my agent is, Leon." Gibbs voice seemed to get softer at the last sentence.

"That why you needed the added protection? I know you asked but you left the details out."

"Yeah. He's already taken shot's at McGee and I can't risk him doing it again."

"Safehouse?" Vance was trying to find a solution that would keep Tim safe and hidden away from Alex. It was no easy feat though; especially given the man seemed to be tracking every movement that the team made. Gibbs shook his head.

"Wouldn't do any good. If he's got eyes on my house then he's gonna know when we move McGee. I dont' think Duck wants to move McGee either. He's sick and in serious pain, Leon, and he needs to rest."

"How much rest is he going to get knowing the situation? Keep it in mind, Gibbs because if this gets any worse then we need to do what we can to keep him safe."

"I know. I've gotta get back because Duck wants these meds. I'll keep you up to date." Gibbs picked up the meds and his gun and brushed past Vance as he made his way to the elevator.

"Gibbs, if you need help ask for it. Don't be a damn hero." Vances voice followed him to the elevator.

"Never am, Leon." With that he got in and made his way down to the parking garage. He was about to call Tony when he spotted his senior agent leaning casually against his car.

"Hey, Boss."

"DiNozzo. Get in."

They both got in the car and Gibbs started the engine. Tony glanced over at him and fidgeted slightly in his seat.

"Somthin' on your mind, DiNozzo?"

"No...well yeah. Boss, there's something not quite adding up here. I mean, how did he know Probie was dating Abby?" Tony's mind worked overtime as he tried to figure out the small details of the case.

"I don't know Tony. We'll talk to Abby later on to try to figure that out. For now, we need to get these to McGee."

"I know, but..."

"Call her. If you're worried, call Abby." Tony glanced at his boss and offered him a rueful smile before taking out his phone and dialing Abby's number.

Ziva walked into the convent with Abby feeling uncomfortable to say the least. It wasn't the fact that she was protecting Abby; it was the fact that she was a young Jewish woman staying in a catholic convent and she didn't know what reception she would get.

"Ziva, relax! They 're good people." Abby tried to pacify her friend knowing that this situation wasn't ideal for her.

"I am relaxed, Abby. "

"No. You're not, but you'll see." Abby knocked on the large door to the convent and practically bounced with happiness when her favourite nun answered the door.

"Sister Roseta." She flung her arms around the kindly looking nun; something that made Ziva grin broadly.

"Abigail. It's so nice to see you again. It's been too long, Dear."

"I know. Sorry. Oh hey, this is my friend Ziva. She'll be staying with me if that's ok." Ziva smiled at the nun and was relieved when she received a warm grin in return.

"Of course. Agent Gibbs told us you would be staying. Please, come in." Sister Roseta stood back and let the two young women enter. "Ahh, the star of David. A beautiful symbol of the Jewish faith."

Ziva was stunned.

"Yes. Is it going to be a problem?" Ziva watched as the Sister's face fell slightly.

"My dear, we are not biased or racist. If anything, I would enjoy sitting with you over a cup of tea so we can perhaps talk about religion. It's one thing talking to my fellow sisters, but we share the same faith and I would be interested to hear about yours."

"I would very much like that." The relief was palpable on Ziva's face as she walked through the halls to the main living room.

"So, how's the bowling going? I'm sorry I didn't get to come last time." Ziva was amazed at the ease by which Abby spoke to the nuns and glanced at Sister Roseta in anticipation of the answer.

"Don't worry child. It was an interesting game. I don't think the other team was expecting a group of nuns to be fair competition." The pride on the Sister's face shone through "Needless to say, we won. The money was well received by the orphanage."

"Aww, I can't believe I missed it. How are the kids doing?" Abbys keen interest in the orphanage made Ziva think that there were hidden facets to her friends; ones that she wanted to find out about.

"They're doing well. The money paid for a day trip out for them."

"That's ni...Excuse me." Abby's phone rang and she excused herself to take the call leaving Ziva with her old friend.

"Ziva is it? Would you like some tea? Perhaps you would tell me about yourself."

"Of course. Tea would be nice." The two of them walked towards the kitchen to give Abby some privacy.

"Abby Sciuto."

"_Hey sweet cheeks. How you doin'." _Abby smiled at Tony's voice as it trilled through the end of the line. It struck her as strange given the way she had acted but pushed that thought to the back of her head."

"How's Tim?" She got straight to the point.

"_He's find Abbs. Just in pain and the Ducky's got him on some antibiotics. Apart from that he's doing as well as can be expected."_

"Antibiotics? Oh no, Tony, what's wrong with him. I shoul..."

"_Stay where you are." Tony finished off her sentence for her "He's fine. Seriously Abbs, there's nothing you can do and he's in the best hands."_

"I know but..Tony I miss him. I need to see him for myself before I can know he's all right." The pain in Abby's voice was thick and heavy.

"_Listen sweetheart. We need you to stay where you are right about now. I do have a couple of questions for you though."_

"Like what?"

"_How did Alex know you were dating McGee? I mean, it's not something he'd just know."_

Abby had to think about that for a minute and nearly dropped the phone when realization dawned on her.

"Oh no! My friend. The one that rang me when I was at Ziva's, she must have told him." Abby started to kick herself for telling her friend. She had spoken to her prior to the conversation she had and had practically gushed with excitement at the prospect of her date with Tim.

"_Does she know him?"_

"Yeah. We're all friends from way back when Tony. Oh no! I'm so sorry." Abby was practically sobbing with regret "I didn't know. Please, Tony keep Tim safe."

"_Calm down Abby. Tim's gonna be fine. We just need to find Alex. Listen, get some rest all right?" _

"I suppose. Tony do me a favour?" Abby knew she could rely on Tony at the moment and decided that it would be a good time to ask.

"_Sure thing."_

"I need you to let Tim that I'm thinking about him. I really need him to know right about now."

"_Abbs, why don't you call him?"_ Tony had no idea why she was asking him to talk to Tim and was feeling more than a little bit confused.

"I'm not sure he wants to talk to me right about now. I've gotta go."

"_All right. I'll speak to you soon."_ Abby ended the call and turned towards the kitchen feeling more

Tony hung up his phone and sighed heavily. He had no idea what had gone on between his Probie and Abby except what Tim had told him the other day butTony was starting to worry that there was more to it than that or more serious than he'd realized.

"How's she doin'?" Gibbs' voice cut through his thoughts like a knife through butter.

"She wants to talk to McGee. What's going on, Boss?"

"You didn't answer my question DiNozzo. Is she all right?" Gibbs was being evasive to a fault and it made Tony completely uneasy.

"Yeah. She thinks Greene found out from one of her friends in New Orleans; how he got out of the nut house is anyone's guess."

"They all knew each other?" Gibbs still hadn't got the answers he needed.

"Guess so, Boss. Listen, does it really matter? We need to find this guy and your'e worried about how he found out?"

"Well yeah ,DiNozzo, it does matter. Alex found out somehow and for all we know Abby's friend could be working as an accomplice."

Tony balked at the idea of two people after Tim; in all honesty, it was something he'd never even thought about.

"Come on, Boss. You can't hones…"

"Rule 8 DiNozzo. "

"Which one's that?" Tony was trying to remember the rules when he felt the obligatory slap to the back of his head "Ow. Thanks, Boss"

"Never assume, DiNozzo."

"Yes, Boss"

Gibbs smiled and pulled up outside his house. He frowned when he saw his front door wide open with no agent there to guard.

"Take the back,Tony!" Tony's eyes snapped up at the boss' tone and he pulled out his weapon. Both of them felt their guts twist painfully as the stepped out of the car and moved towards the house with their weapons drawn. Tony broke off and moved to the back leaving Gibbs with the front door.

As Gibbs cautiously moved to the front door he was shocked to see one of the agents that had been assigned to protection duty, unconscious on the floor. He bent down and placed two fingers on the young man's neck and was relived to feel pulse. Moving into the house, he met Tony coming in from the back and the two of them moved upstairs.

Up on the landing, they were startled to find their second posted agent, unconscious just like the first, but he'd at least drawn his weapon, ready to protect Tim and Ducky.

_Tim and Ducky!_

With silent communication down to a science, Gibbs and Tony backed each other up as they crept toward the bedroom where their clenching guts told them something unpleasant was waiting for them_. _As they stopped outside the closed bedroom door to listen for telltale signs of what exactly they were walking into, they heard a monotone single voice

"_Did you really think these people could protect you from me, Agent McGee?"_

Silence.

"_I tried to warn you. You wouldn't listen. None of your 'friends' would listen either. How many idiots does it take to get the message, Agent McGee? Abby belongs to me! She always has! She will always be mine!"_

Silence again. Either Tim was choosing not to answer the bastard; _or he couldn't_!

Tony's sudden awareness of that possibility met Gibbs' and both of them felt their stomachs drop as they shared a look of dread and awful possibilities. _Why the hell was the damn door shut anyway?_

_Where was Ducky?_

Tony pulled out his cell phone and stepped away from the bedroom door a good twenty feet, knowing Gibbs could handle the one guy on the other side of the door long enough for Tony to call for back up and for quiet ambulances on standby outside. His gut was telling him they were gonna need at least one of those.

Gibbs had continued to listen to the conversation on the other side of the door as Alex continued to rant and rave at McGee without any noise that would indicate he was touching him. With nothing solid to go on that would mean the need to rush the situation, Gibbs forced himself to patiently wait. If he startled the bastard, they'd most likely wind up with some casualties where they didn't necessarily have any yet. The fact that he'd incapacitated the agents on guard, instead of killing them, meant this kid wasn't trying to kill anyone. Maybe he was just trying to scare the hell out of McGee and get him to promise to leave Abby alone. Maybe, that's all this jackass wanted.

_Yeah, Right. _Gibbs second guessed that thought as soon as it entered his mind_._

When Tony nodded at him in his silent way of affirming that backup was on its way, Gibbs' patience ran out. They needed to know that Tim and Ducky were okay and listening to this bozo wasn't gonna get that for them. In silently nodded agreement, Tony kicked the wall with his foot in the only split second warning Alex was gonna get before Gibbs threw open the door and both Agents aimed their weapons on Alex Green's head.

Without changing their gun's aim, both Agents sent their eyes around the room; searching for the read into exactly was going on. With a sickening feeling, Tony saw Ducky's legs prone on the floor, as testimony to the fact that the M.E. was unconscious or worse; hurt. But the most heart stopping sight was McGee bound and gagged, held at gunpoint as he stood , obviously in a great deal of pain and having difficulty breathing as the gag hindered him.

Alex turned his evil glaring eyes onto the new arrivals to his sick twisted game. "Hello gentlemen, Come to join the party? Put your guns down or I'll take him out just like this."

"You won't do that. You're not a killer." Gibbs reasoned.

"Don't! Do NOT try to head shrink me Agent Gibbs! From where I'm standing ole Timmy boy here won't last much longer in his current situation. You wouldn't wanna cause him any more pain now would you?"

"Whatta ya want, Alex?" Tony demanded.

"I think you all know what I want by now. I've hinted enough at it." Alex snarled at Tim as he struggled against his bonds.

"Hinted? You've done enough damage. You really want to risk doing anymore?"

"ENOUGH? No, not nearly enough. He cannot be allowed to be with Abby. She's mine; always has been."

"No. She hasn't." Gibbs re- joined in the conversation and kept his gun trained firmly on the guy holding his sick agent hostage.

There was a split second where Alex seemed to contemplate Gibbs words and the two agents watched with horror as his finger tightened on the trigger. There was a horrendous sound as three weapons fired in the small bedroom and the two agents watched with heavy hearts as Alex slumped to floor.

"McGee!" Tony's panicked tones rang through the silence and he rushed to his friend's side to release the gag. "Come on man, don't do this to me."

"Tony?" Gibbs didn't waste any time in securing the suspect and knelt beside Tony. He placed his hand on Tim's forehead and brushed back the damp hair that had plastered itself to the clammy skin.

"Boss, where are the EMT's. We need that ambulance now!"


	27. Chapter 27

_A/N: We apologise for the wait.__

* * *

__"Boss, where are the EMT's. We need that ambulance now!"_

Once the initial shock of the situation wore off, Tony had glanced briefly at Gibbs before running over to his friend's side. If he was going to be honest with himself, he was scared witless; seeing Tim laying there, still as a corpse sent fear and panic spiking through him dangerously.

"McGee!"

Tony reached down and put his finger to Tim's carotid artery, he was relieved to feel the thready thrumming of his pulse beating beneath his fingers. Tony moved his hands down over Tim's body to check for any signs' of a gunshot wound before reaching round to loosen the bonds that held Tim's arms behind his back. As he tore off the bonds, he cringed at the angry, red welts that had been caused by his friends struggle against the tight cable ties. Tim didn't stir as they were cut off and Tony noticed the ragged, wheezy breathing coming from his Probie.

"DiNozzo?"

"I've got the ties and gag off him." Tony was too busy trying to help Tim to offer up any more information at that point. He vaguely heard Gibbs' answer travel over to him.

"Good. Take care of him. I need to check on Ducky."

Gibbs had gone straight to Alex to secure the scene. Alex had a gunshot wound to his shoulder but given what the sick S.O.B had put his agent through; he didn't really care or think twice about pulling the guys arms back behind his back and slapping handcuffs on him. Hi picked up the gun that Alex had used and pulled the clip out before tossing across the room. Once Gibbs had him secured, he jumped up and tore towards Ducky with a tight knot clenching in his stomach. Kneeling down, he felt for a pulse and thanked his lucky stars, that it was beating true and strong.

"Duck?" Gibbs tapped Ducky's cheek to try to rouse the M.E. and was greeted by a low groan. Ducky didn't come round fully though; something which worried the senior agent no end. He was busy trying to bring Ducky round when Tony's voice cut through his ministrations.

"Boss. He's not hit! He's burnin' up though." The slight note of panic lingered heavily in the air. It wasn't often Tony sounded so damn rattled over a situation, but Tim was practically his kid brother; what would he expect in that situation. Gibbs felt sure that he could leave his friend for a moment and knew that Tim needed help more so he jumped up and made his way over to Tim and Tony; kneeling down, he brushed back Tim's bangs and winced at the heat he felt there.

Tony stood up and glanced over at Ducky and gasped; Ducky wasn't supposed to get hurt, he was supposed to be safe..._to be protected._

"Boss, Ducky? He's out cold." Tony walked over and checked Ducky's pulse for himself and was relieved to also find it strong and steady. "I think he's been drugged somehow."

"I know DiNozzo. He still alright over there?"

"I think so. Just completely out." Gibbs felt a little bit of the tension in his gut release knowing that Ducky was still alright and leaving him to tend to Tim hadn't had a negative impact on his condition. He carried on with his ministrations."Tony, we're gonna need more Medics. Call them and tell em' we're gonna need at least five."

"On it Boss." Tony stood up and grabbed the comforter off the bed. He laid it gently over Ducky and started to walk out of the room; he turned to take a quick glance at Tim and found himself rooted to the spot; he didn't want to leave Tim, his friend didn't deserve that.

"DiNozzo! Go!" Gibbs barked tone startled Tony "Tony, I've got him and Duck'll be fine. I need you to do this for me, alright?" Gibbs tried to focus Tony to the task at hand knowing that the EMT's that had already been called would go straight to the downed agents outside the house. He was also painfully aware of the fact that they would need more.

"Yeah, Boss." The senior field agent relaxed at Gibbs more subdued, soothing tone and continued on his way to make the calls. Gibbs watched him walk out of the room but his attention was grabbed by Tim groaning beside him.

"Hey, Tim. You with me, Son?"

"Boss...don't feel too good." Tim looked bad. His face was so pale it was practically translucent and Gibbs could feel the heat radiated from his agent's body. It was worrying and Gibbs wished Ducky was there to guide him.

"Don't worry, McGee, we'll get you to Bethesda and they'll soon fix you up." Tim started to struggle as the memories of what happened hit him like a tone of bricks.

"Alex!...Boss, Ducky! Where..."

"Alex is down McGee. Calm down...that's it, just take it easy." Tim turned his head to glance at Alex as he lay a few feet and saw that he was handcuffed and secured. Gibbs followed his youngest agent 's gaze as it travelled over to Ducky and had to restrain Tim when he started to struggle to get to the M.E.

"Tim!...McGee, he's fine. We think he's been drugged. Damn it, Tim, QUIT IT!" He helped lower Tim down the floor as exhaustion overtook the man's severely weakened body and he slumped helplessly to the floor. Gibbs frowned as Tim's eyes rolled back in his head momentarily before the gaze shifted to look at Alex.

"Why's he bleeding?"

"I shot him. Through and though, McGee. Nothing life threatening."

"Ok." Tim's quiet, hushed tone worried Gibbs and the older agent could see Tim's eyelids starting to droop.

"Stay with me here, Tim. How're you feeling now? Think you can stay awake?"

"M'fi..." Tim didn't want to worry Gibbs anymore than he already had and closed his eyes so his boss couldn't see the lie in them.

"That crap doesn't fly with DiNozzo and it sure as hell doesn't with you. I'll ask again, How are you feelin' now McGee and I want the truth. You said you didn't feel so good 5 minutes ago; you feel worse?" Gibbs cupped Tim's cheek in his hand and pulled Tim's face around so his agent had no choice but to open his eyes and look at him.

"Not so good,Boss….. Hurt's and can't breathe."Gibbs frowned at the earnest answer and scrutinized the sick man lying in front of him.

"Help'll he here soon. You wanna sit up? It might help ease your chest."

Tim nodded and felt himself being lifted gently. He couldn't help the gasp of pain that escaped his lips as sharp jabs stabbed into his chest. Each difficult breath had started to sound raspy and Gibbs frowned at the slight wheeze he heard as he lifted his second surrogate son. Moving behind Tim, he managed to manipulate his position so that he was sitting with Tim in between his legs; the young man's back was resting easily against his chest and Gibbs couldn't help but rest his head on top of Tim's.

"Breathe Tim. That's it, just breathe. Follow my lead if you need to...Good; that's good." Tim felt Gibbs's chest rise and fall with every breath and tried desperately to mimic the rhythmic rise and fall. Gibbs had bowed his head down and was whispering his words of support and encouragement; every word aimed at getting Tim to breathe and keep breathing until help reached them.

There was a shuffling sound coming and Gibbs glanced up to see Ducky trying to sit up; his friend soon managed it and held his head with his free hand; the other gripped onto the beds mattress as his friend swayed dangerously.

"Duck, you alright?" Gibbs couldn't move to help Ducky and was relieved when the man managed to stand up and stagger over to them. The M.E. dropped to his knees heavily and closed his eyes against a wave of nauseating dizziness.

"I think so Jethro. What happened?"

"Greene got in and it looks like he pulled a number on you and the guys outside. McGee's sick Duck, but we've called the medics." Gibbs watched as Ducky placed his hand on Tim's forehead before once again swaying where he was knelt. "You sure you're okay?"

"Just a bit dizzy. He's got a fever, Jethro. We need to get that down." Gibbs was saved from answering by his old friend, by Tony's voice travelling up the stairs.

"Boss! The paramedics are here! You want me to show them up?" Gibbs knew why Tony was asking the question but at that current moment in time he had no interest in whether or not Alex was unguarded, he just knew that Tim needed help and he needed help soon.

"Whadda you think, DiNozzo?"

There was commotion as two EMT's ran into the room. They both stopped at Alex to assess the damage to the handcuffed man's shoulder.

"Hey! My agent's worse than he is right now so how about you get over here and treat him?" Both medics looked up at him before letting their eyes trail down to the other people that needed attending too.

"Sir we'll get to h..."

"Damn it! Another bus is on the way so get over here and help him. He's struggling to breathe and needs to be in the hospital." The anger and worry in Gibbs' face made the tallest one move towards him.

"Alright. My colleague is going to assess that guy whilst I look over..."

"McGee. Tim McGee." Gibbs jumped in with Tim's name which earned him a small smile.

"Tim. Can I call you Tim?" Tim nodded and coughed slightly "Alright then. Tim, I'm Danny Tobin. I need you to tell me what's wrong."

"Pleurisy...Hard to breathe...hurts...feel as though there...is something else..." Each word was punctuated by a wheezy inhalation.

"I'm going to get you on oxygen now and I want you to try to breathe as deeply as you can." Tim felt an oxygen mask slip onto his face and let himself drift slightly. He barely felt the sting of the IV or the thermometer slip into his ear before greyness swooped down and sent him spiralling into oblivion.

"Sir..."

"Gibbs. I'm his boss."

"Gibbs." The EMT nodded as he wrapped a cuff around Tim's arm. "I can't give him anything to ease the pain because of his breathing issues. He's out at the moment which might just be the saving grace we need in terms of moving him."

Gibbs blew out a breath and helped Danny move Tim so he was lying down on the floor. Gibbs felt a pang of guilt as he remembered the two agents laying downstairs.

"What about my other men?"

"It looks like they were drugged. There's another team down there dealing with them and they'll be on their way to Bethesda soon. It looks like they'll be ok; hell of a headache though." Danny glanced at Ducky and smiled ruefully "You too, huh. You can come with us and we'll have you both patched up in no time."

Ducky smiled at the young medic and stood up with Gibbs' help.

"Thank you, Jethro. My head is clearing slightly now but I think it would be prudent to have someone check me over."

Gibbs nodded and blew out a relived breath; all the while making a note to find out how the hell two trained agents stationed at different points in the house and Ducky, managed to find themselves drugged.

"Danny, this guy's not critical so he can wait for the other Ambulance." The other EMT shouted across from where he was kneeling down beside Alex. "We need to get these cuffs off."

"Not gonna happen. He's the one that has caused this and he stays cuffed until another bus arrives. We can cuff him to the gurney so you can treat him properly." Gibbs knew he was being malicious but he couldn't help it. There was no way he was gonna let this whack job hurt anyone else.

"Sir..."

"NO. Damn it!" the vehemence in Gibbs' tone told the EMT's everything they needed to hear and the two of them busied themselves getting Tim ready for transport. It wasn't long before two more medics arrived to take care of Alex. Gibbs glanced up at the door and saw Tony standing there looking majorly pissed.

"Tony. Go with Greene. Secure him to the gurney and don't let him out of your sight."

"Got it, Boss." Tony caught the Keys that Gibbs tossed him and moved out of the doorway.

With that, the four men made their way out of the bedroom pushing Tim on the gurney. Tony looked on as his friend was taken to the hospital to finally get the treatment he so desperately needed.

Ducky had been checked by the doctors at Bethesda and had got away with nothing more than what amounted to a hangover. Blood tests had revealed traces of something resembling chloroform in his bloodwork; not enough to poison but enough to knock them out for a while. He glanced up when Tony entered the room and frowned at how pale the senior field agent was.

"Anthony?" Ducky made his way over and crouched in front of the frazzled young man. Tony leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees; his head hanging down low as he gazed at the floor.

"You okay, Ducky?"

"Nothing a good night's sleep and some analgesics won't cure, dear boy. How are you doing?" Tony nodded at Ducky's statement and huffed out a breath.

"That shouldn't have happened, Ducky. Tim shouldn't have been in that position. Hell, you shouldn't have been put in that position." Tony's quiet voice worried the M.E. and he wondered whether Tony had gone into shock.

"There was nothing anyone could have done, Anthony. You were not to know Alex would be able to overpower two agents in order to get to Timothy."

"How'd he do that, Ducky? How the HELL DID HE DO THAT?" Tony stood up and started to pace the small room; his anger rolled off him in waves and left Ducky with nothing to do but stay where he was until Tony's rage finally burnt itself out.

"HE COULD HAVE KILLED MCGEE! HE COULD HAVE..." Ducky jumped at the sound of something crashing against the wall and dared to look up, only to see the trash can laying on its side with a dent in it where it had hit the wall.

"DINOZZO, STAND DOWN!" Gibbs' authoritative voice rang through the room and Tony deflated slowly.

"Boss, McGee...Tim could have died. If we hadn't gotten there ..."

"We did, Tony. We got there and the only thing wrong with McGee is the stuff he already had. Sit down." Gibbs grabbed Tony's bicep and guided him to the nearest chair. "McGee's gonna be fine. He's with the doctors now, so acting like this isn't gonna help the situation."

"I know, Boss. It's just so damn frustrating knowing that we didn't protect him."

"We did as much as we could, Tony. I'm gonna go and get some coffee. You want anything."

"Coffee sounds good,Boss." Gibbs clapped him on the shoulder and turned to his old friend.

"How you doing, Duck?" He couldn't help the worry that filtered through.

"I am fine, Jethro. No permanent damage to either myself, or the two poor agents that succumbed to the drug that the troubled young man used." Gibbs nodded and guided Ducky to the chair.

"Take care of him for me, Duck. Tea?" Gibbs knew Ducky would feel better doing something and that he had gotten the all clear from the doctors.

"Yes, please, Jethro and of course I'll take care of him." Ducky moved to sit with Tony and Gibbs walked out of the room feeling heavy and uncomfortable at what he was about to do. Pulling out his phone, he dialled Ziva's number.

"_Da'vid."_

"Ziva, It's Gibbs. Listen, I need you to talk to Abby for me."

"_What has happened?"_ Damn that woman's intuition; Her instincts was one of the things that made her a damn fine agent but right now it had been a curse rather than a blessing. He could hear talking in the background, something that stopped as soon as Ziva asked the question.

"I need you to go somewhere private a minute for me. I don't want Abbs panicking" He heard some shuffling and the sound of a door closing.

"_What is wrong, Gibbs?"_

"McGee's at Bethesda. Me and Tony went back to my house and found the guys on protection and Duck out cold. Turns out they were drugged."

"_Drugged? With what?"_

"Doesn't matter right now. I want you to talk to Abby and tell her McGee's at Bethesda; try to keep her calm and don't tell what happened just yet." Gibbs didn't want Abby to know what had occurred knowing the Goth would be consumed with pure grief and guilt over the situation; he knew he should be the one talking to her about this, but his anger at her was still raw, especially seeing as Tim had once again suffered.

"_Should it not be you who talks to her Gibbs? I am not sure whether or not she will listen to me." _Ziva's worried Tone didn't go amiss making Gibbs sigh heavily.

"Ziva, right now you are there and can give her the comfort she needs. I'm not in the right frame of mind to be dealing with it over the phone."

"_Understood. How is McGee? What happened?" _Gibbs ran his free hand through his hair and leaned against the wall to gather his thoughts.

"Alex Greene somehow got through protection and to McGee. Duck was out cold in the bathroom and the S.O.B had McGee bound and gagged whilst holding a gun to him." Ziva cursed loudly in Arabic and then apologised to one of the nuns that obviously walked past.

"_I will speak to her and we will be there soon. How is Tim?" _She repeated the question and the use of Tim's Christian name startled Gibbs slightly.

"He's still with the docs so we won't know anything yet. Calm her down before you get here. I don't want her worrying everyone else." He snapped his phone shut and went in search of the caffeine he desperately craved; it was going to be a long night but no matter what he wasn't going to leave his agents side.

Ziva put her phone back in it's holder on her belt and made her way back into the room. She saw Abby sitting there talking to Sister Roseta and slowly walked towards her friend.

"Abby. That was Gibbs. There was an incident at his house and we are needed at Bethesda."

"Oh my God. Timmy!" Ziva blanched at the blaspheme and glanced over at the sister that was currently sitting on the couch next to her friend.

"Abigail Scuito! No matter what, you shall not take the Lord's name in vane." The gentle rebuke made Abby shrink slightly.

"Sorry. I'm so sorry. You know I wouldn't...I don't..."

"Don't worry, child. Ziva, what happened?" Sister Roseta slipped her hand into Abby's and held it gently as Ziva recounted what she knew.

"Is Tim okay? I need to be with him." Abby stood and grabbed her handbag only to have it taken out of her hands.

"You need to put on some clothes first Abby." Ziva watched as Abby nodded and relented her grip on the bag.

"I'll be five minutes!" with that she ran out of the room to change.

"I will pray for your friend, Ziva. I know God will listen." The nun's soothing voice calmed Ziva who just nodded and smiled sadly.

"Thank you. I appreciate that. I too will pray." The two of them was silent for a while and didn't hear Abby streak into the room fully clothed.

"Let's go, Ziva! Sister Roseta, I'll call you later if that's alright?" Abby walked over to the nun and wrapped her arms around her.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Abigail. I will wait to hear from you."

With one last goodbye, the pair made their way to the hospital. Abby couldn't help the twisting in her gut at the fact that she hadn't had the chance to apologise or see the man that she loved, cherished and adored; but in the same breath had treated like nothing but dirt. That was something she would truly have to come to terms with before she could even begin to heal the broken relationship that she had recently started.

"Abby. Are you well?" Ziva's voice cut through her thoughts and she shook her head slightly.

"No Zee. I'm not. The way I treated him ...and now he's there becau...How do I fix this?" Abby had no idea how to word what was on her mind.

"You have behaved badly but it is not unforgivable, Abby. Tim has a gentle soul and doesn't know how to hold a grudge. That is why, you must talk with him and apologise for what it is you have done."

"I know. I just don't know how."

"You will." Ziva's simple answer confused Abby a little bit and she took to staring out of the window until they reached their destination.

"Dr. Mallard." One of the emergency doctors walked into the waiting room where Ducky, Gibbs and Tony were sitting silently, sipping on their drinks. The doctor smiled when all three men jumped up and made their way over to them.

"I take it you have news on Timothy." Ducky greeted the doctor with a simple handshake as he asked the question that everyone was anxious to hear the answer too.

"I have and he's going to be fine. I won't lie to you, the man is very sick. I understand he was diagnosed with Pleurisy?"

"Yes. We were treating him for the condition but he presented with signs of some infection last night. I prescribed antibiotics and was waiting for them when..."Ducky went silent as the memories of the situation became prevalent in his mind.

"It looks like the onset of pneumonia but it's been caught early so we've started him on a strong course of antibiotics which are being administered through his IV. We can't do anything about the pleurisy but I can still hear some grinding so we'll treat that the only way we can."

Ducky nodded "With painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication."

"Yes, Doctor Mallard. He'll be our visitor for a few days yet but all being well, we'll release him. I'm hopeful that the pneumonia has been caught before it takes hold completely but for the time being we've got him on oxygen to help him breathe. Don't worry, it's not as serious as it sounds and his chest doesn't sound too bad at the moment. There's fluid on his lungs but his body will expel that naturally as time goes on."

Tony winched heavily and understood exactly what that meant. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to go and sit with his probie and help him through the painful hacking that was bound to accompany Tim's other symptoms.

"Can we see him?"

"He's just being moved to a private room and then you can go and sit with him for a couple of minutes. I want you all to go home and rest; Dr Mallard, is there anyone you can stay with?"

"He'll stay with DiNozzo." Gibbs' gruff voice let it be known that there was no room for argument and Tony looked at Ducky knowing damn well that Gibbs wouldn't be leaving Tim's side tonight.

"Just you and me then, Ducky."

"That it is my dear boy. I would like to see Timothy first though." Ducky's pleading eyes turned towards Gibbs. Gibbs nodded at him and turned back to the doctor.

"Which room?"

"Second floor. I don't know what room just yet but you can always ask someone at the nurses' station up there and they'll direct you."

"Thanks doc." Gibbs sat back down in one of the chairs and watched as the doctor walked away.

"He's really gonna be ok?" Tony's whispered question had Gibbs sighing heavily. That was one thing he couldn't promise but he knew in his heart of hearts that his youngest agent could finally move on with healing both his body and his relationship with Abby.

"I hope so Tony. He's in the right place and can only get better."

"Yeah. He's gonna be fine. Probie's been through too much not to be." Tony was obviously trying to convince himself of that fact and Gibbs could almost feel his senior field agent pulling himself together.

"How about we go and see him. You can tell him that yourself." Gibbs clapped Tony on the back and walked to the door; it wasn't long before he was followed out by his two colleagues and couldn't help but smile with deep relief at the fact that Tim was safe and the only things the young man had to worry about now, was getting better and building the bridges with Abby.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: We apologise for the delay.

Tissue Warning Advisory: Might wanna have one handy.

* * *

When Tony and Gibbs reached Tim's room; they both blanched at the sight in front of them as they looked on through the glass window. They both put on the face masks that the doctor had given them and found themselves rooted to the spot and completely unable to take their eyes off of their man. It was obvious that the illness had completely taken its toll; add that the shock of being captured by the person that had caused this, and you pretty much had a recipe for disaster. Well that disaster had soon taken a turn for the worst and Gibbs frowned at the rhythmic rise and fall of Tim's chest as the ventilator pushed air into his over taxed lungs. He couldn't help but feel as though he had failed his youngest agent in some way; he was laying there with a damn machine breathing for him and was surrounded by wires and tubing that were helping Tim's body heal.

_**Half an hour ago…**_

_"How about we go and see him. You can tell him that yourself." Gibbs clapped Tony on the back and walked to the door; it wasn't long before he was followed out by his two colleagues and couldn't help but smile with deep relief at the fact that Tim was safe and the only things the young man had to worry about now, was getting better and building the bridges with Abby__**.**_

_Gibbs and Tony walked towards the nurse's station on the second floor and hoped that the staff would let them in to sit with Tim for a while. _

"_Can I help you, sir?" A pretty young nurse was sitting at the desk writing out notes in a patient's file._

"_I'm Special Agent Gibbs with NCIS. We're here to see Timothy McGee." Gibbs saw the nurses face sadden slightly and felt his heart tug at the look of sympathy that she threw his way._

"_I'm sorry Agent Gibbs, but I can only discuss Tim's medical condition with the family."_

"_What? I'm not asking you to discuss his condition. I'm asking to see him; why is that a problem?" Gibbs demanded answers and fast. He had no idea why the staff were being evasive but he didn't like it._

"_Please. We can't discu…."_

"_Lucy. These men are with me. I'll take them to Agent McGee's room." Both men turned at the familiar voice and were relieved to see Dr. Brad Pitt making his way over. "Gibbs. Tony. Well I would say it's a pleasure seeing as you aren't due for your appointment for a while Tony, but given the circumstances, I can't exactly say I'm pleased to see you both."_

"_Brad. Hey, what's going on, Man. They said Probie was being bought up here and now nurse killjoy there is being all weird." Tony was worried, there was something going on and both men felt the nagging sensation that something was wrong._

"_Walk with me." Brad led them down to the small family room at the end of the corridor and closed the door behind him. "I was called in to help Tim but when I got to the room his condition has worsened. He presented originally with pleurisy and the onset of pneumonia but his condition deteriorated to the point where he was struggling to breathe. We've put him on a ventilator and taken him up to ICU for a short while."_

"_Vent? You've got him on a breathing machine?" Gibbs was practically vibrating with anger and fear. "What's wrong with him?"_

"_His body has been over taxed and he went into shock. The shock added to his breathing difficulties but when we checked his lungs again we found they were more congested than originally thought." _

_Tony grimaced at the memory of his lungs betraying him by trying to pull in one sluggish breath after the next. He remembered coughing so hard that you thought your lungs were disconnecting from the rest of your body. He never got put on the machine though and the fact that Tim now had him scared witless._

"_Brad. What….Why the vent, man. Come on I had the damn plague and never got put on it."_

"_No, but you were close to being put on it Tony. If I remember correctly, we contemplated puttin you on it" Tony shuddered at the memory._

"_Yeah, but you didn't."_

"_Tony. Look, Tim's body needs some time to heal. The ventilator is for extra support because the oxygen wasn't enough. I ordered it because he was panicking and in that state, his lungs weren't drawing enough oxygen in to keep his blood oxygenated. He'll be off it by morning."_

"_You tellin' us everything?" Gibbs was getting seriously antsy and wanted reassurance that Tim was truly alright._

"_Ok, Look. Tim's not doing too well right now. He was having some difficulty breathing which was caused by numerous factors and is why he's getting some mechanical help now. I plan to wean him off it in the morning but if he's still struggling then he'll be on it for another day. He's currently being pumped full of antibiotics and we've got him sedated so there's no chance of him fighting the tube. He will be alright Gibbs. It's just going to take time."_

_Present time…._

"_It's just going to take time" _Brads words echoed in his head as he gazed through the window at the frail figure in the bed. He wanted someone to explain how this vibrant, energetic young man who had worked hard to get in shape and stay healthy, had been reduced to this fragile, sick person he saw before him. How? In such a short space of time! Given the shock, he wasn't really surprised that one of his family members had ended up here.

"Boss, you coming?" Tony's question drew him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, Tony. Come on."

As they walked into the room, putting the required masks on as they walked, they were both feeling sucker punched by seeing Tim up close. They hadn't seen the drawn, dark closed eyes and the unearthly pallor to his skin earlier. If anything, he appeared almost corpselike in the bright, artificial light that bathed the room. It was too much and Gibbs found himself in desperate need of coffee but steadfastly stood by Tim's bed and grasped his hand.

Tony loved his sick and hurting teammate like a brother and as Tim lay sedated, Tony stood stock still, looking down at him; his heart was in his throat and seemed to throb in rhythm with the dreaded ventilator. The rest of the world suddenly faded away leaving just him and his little brother; his desperately hurting family member who was in need of comforting words from his big brother. Without even remembering he wasn't alone in the room, Tony just started talking to his friend the only way that came to mind:

"Probie, I'm so sorry this got so outta hand. So, sorry we weren't able to stop the bastard from getting to you…" Tony's throat closed up and he had to look away. He turned and walked the few steps there were to the window and looked out while he continued talking, raising his voice enough to still be heard. He had no idea why, but for some reason he needed to see the world outside; needed to see the joyous freedom beyond these sterile walls; he needed that comfortable control that it offered and leeched every bit of it as he made his heartfelt speech. If he even looked at Tim in his current condition for another minute, he feared it would crumble what little control he had on his anger at the unjustness and the pain his partner had been put through; was still going through.

"You've had such crappy luck with women, Probie. You know that I've really felt for you about that, right? Having Gibbs' okay to date Abby again should have been a walk in the park, not this nightmare. I…"

In a rare show of compassion, Gibbs silently stood by letting Tony have his say; he knew and understood Tony's compulsion to say what he had to say and sat on the sidelines whilst his older surrogate son bared his soul. They guy had been through a lot in the last few days; all of it while having to watch the younger man on the team suffer. As Tony's voice filled the room, Gibbs stayed rooted to the spot; where he could silently keep an eye on both of his boys. He glanced down at Tim and noticed the movement beneath his eyelids and just knew that at that moment, Tony's heartfelt speech wasn't for nothing and that the emotion that Tony was unable to internalize had obviously broken through Tim's sleep enough to rouse the younger man. His eyes finally fluttered open for a few seconds and Gibbs caught the movement of Tim's long eyelashes as they blinked sluggishly; he squeezed Tim's hand gently to let his younger agent know he was there but as Tim roused more from the sedated slumber he was in, his eyes started frantically searching for something. Gibbs stepped closer to the bed and leaned into Tim's line of sight; he waited for those green eyes to finally connect with his and let Tim use the moment to calm himself down.

"You know, Probie, I never meant for you to get hurt like this. I…" Tony's voice continued to fill the room. "I'm so sorry, man. We almost lost you. And now you're even more sick than you were before and I…"

Tim's agitation seemed to completely ease as Tony's voice washed over him and Gibbs could see his panic bleed away as his eyes stayed fixed on those of his boss. Gibbs' expression asked his patented silent question; _Okay now? _Tim nodded slightly but his eyes spoke the real truth as they filled with fear. The young man looked over at Tony for a long minute as he was still trying to express how seeing Tim go through this had affected him.

When Tim finally looked back to Gibbs, he couldn't help the long tear slip from his eye; Gibbs hadn't taken his eyes of his struggling sick agent and could see the tears well up before the attention was turned back to him. The younger man's eyes were now filled with pain for Tony mixed with the fear that had been there earlier so Gibbs stepped up to where he could sit at the edge of the bed and looked down to gently soothe Tim's unexplained fear and restlessness with an encouraging steady look and a supportive hand squeeze to his shoulder. As Tim accepted his boss' encouragement to calm down, the young man gave a tiny smile of thanks around the tube in his mouth in return even and let his body give in to the exhaustion and the sedation that still lingered. His eyes slowly closed as sleep claimed him once more.

Tony found himself with nothing else to say; the words had eluded him so he turned back to the bed feeling frustrated and at a loss as to what else he could do. He noticed Tim still sleeping with Gibbs sitting by his chest where he could reach out to him; This made him feel even more dejected.

"Great. The one time I bare my soul to the kid and he sleeps right through it." Sadness rolled of Tony in waves making Gibbs momentarily close his eyes in sympathy. The older agent carefully stood up and walked over to Tony to put a comforting hand on his Senior Field Agent's arm; looking him in the directly in the eyes to tell him what he needed to hear.

"He heard you, Tony."

Tony looked skeptical. "Yeah? Really?"

"Yeah. He woke up for a minute. He was listening to you. He watched you as you were talking."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Tony's complaint was filled with pain and regret.

"He was only awake for a minute." Gibbs left the answer simple, leaving Tim's emotions out of it.

"Still, Boss…"

"Tony, he's not goin' anywhere. You can talk to him tomorrow. For now, take Ducky back to his house and watch over him. Take care of him. Don't let him do anything but get a good night's sleep. You got me?"

"Yeah, Boss. I'm on it. What about Ziva and Abby?"

"They're on their way here."

"They're gonna wanna see that Ducky's okay." Tony reminded the older man.

"Yeah. I know. Go ahead and let them talk to him for a minute before you take him home. Tell the girls they can't come in here till I say so." Gibbs requested calmly.

"On it, Boss. He's gonna be okay, right?" Tony worried without worrying what it made him look like.

"He's gonna be fine, Tony. Go on." Tony nodded once more before he turned and left Tim's hospital room and was mildly surprised to find Ducky watching from the window in the hallway.

"Anthony. How is Timothy?" Ducky asked quietly. He had mentally tried to work through what little he'd seen of Tim's struggle to find peace of mind while he was awake. From where he'd been standing, he'd had a perfect view of Tim's restlessness and near panic and was happy that Gibbs knew how to calm him down.

"Dunno, Ducky, I never even noticed he was awake."

"Never mind, young man. There will be plenty of time for you to be there for him tomorrow."

"Yeah. I know. C'mon, let's head toward the waiting room. I'm sure Abby and Ziva are here by now and are probably anxious to see that you're okay. As soon as they've seen you, we can get you home."

True to Tony's prediction, both Ziva and Abby were pacing the waiting room and were anxious to see both Ducky and Tim.

"Ladies, calm yourselves down, please. I am perfectly fine." Ducky offered calmly before they could unleash their emotional overload on him.

"Oh, Ducky!" Abby cried when she saw him and wrapped him in a gentle hug; she was careful not to squeeze too hard but still managed to make it one of her best.

"Abigail, I am fine, my dear." Ducky reassured her as he hugged her back for a moment before withdrawing from her hug so he could turn and offer Ziva some reassurance as well.

"Ducky, you are sure that you are okay?" Ziva questioned seriously.

"Yes, Ziva. I am fine. Now, Timothy, is quite a different story though. He is suffering with the onset of Pneumonia and must be kept quiet and away from any risk for further infections. I'm afraid you will need to wear one of these face masks to enter his room and visits must be kept to a minimum until he is out of danger from outside influences that will tax his lungs."

"But, he's gonna be okay, right?" Abby's tearful question melted Ducky's resolve slighty.

"Yes, Abigail, He'll be fine so long as his body is given the proper time and medical attention to heal. Right now rest is the best thing for him, though I will warn you he is sedated to let the ventilator help…..Abigail! It is just to take the stress of his lungs and will hopefully be removed my morning" Ducky headed Abby's obvious panicked question at the mention of the breathing machine.

"Good. That's good. Just there to help?" Ducky nodded and offered Abby a small smile before reaching over and grabbing her hand to give it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm taking Ducky home. Ziva, any problems, call me. We'll be at Ducky's." Tony said into the silence that had descended on the room unexpectedly. "Gibbs told me to tell you not to go into Probie's room till he gives you the all clear. There's a window so you can look in and see him from there. The room's just off to the right behind those doors. Probie's in there."

"Okay. Sleep well, Ducky. You need to look after your own health, yes?" Ziva replied calmly, knowing she would need to keep things level headed for Abby to keep her friend calm; especially after Tony and Ducky left.

"Don't worry, Ziva. I will be fine after a good night's rest."

Ziva hugged the M.E. and whispered in his ear. "I am grateful you were not more seriously hurt."

"Thank you, Ziva." Ducky replied quietly before he turned and headed out with Tony, leaving the ladies to make their way to Tim's room.

Abby couldn't stop the tears from returning as they both headed to Tim's room.

"Oh my God, why does this keep happening to Timmy? Why can't he ever catch a break?"

"Abby, do not have this conversation right now. " Ziva warned her, knowing it was much more of a personal conversation than Abby even realized at the moment and the answers that would surely be given would not be pleasant for the Goth.

"You're right, Ziva." Abby said uncharacteristically and seemed to go quiet. The silence stayed with them until they reached the window outside Tim's room. "Oh, God! Look at him!" she cried softly.

"Abby, you must remember what Ducky said. He will be fine with proper medical attention and rest."

"Look, even Gibbs is worried!" Abby observed as she spied the boss sitting watch over the sleeping patient.

Ziva gently tapped on the window and Gibbs' head turned in their direction. Looking at the patient one more time, the boss got up and came out of the room, closing the door behind him. Taking off his mask, he spoke to them.

"You two all right?"

"We are fine, Gibbs." Ziva's calm answer was strangely soothing to Gibbs.

"Oh, Gibbs!" Abby flung herself into his arms and held on for dear life.

"Abby, he's gonna be okay. Ducky tell you the restrictions on visits?"

"Yes, we must wear the masks and we must keep him quiet. Rest is best for him now." His agent recited so that he wouldn't have to repeat the necessary precautions needed for Tim's recovery "He also said he is sedated and the ventilator can be removed tomorrow." That part was to reassure Abby more than anything.

"Right."

"Gibbs, I have to go in there! I have to touch him, make sure he's okay, for real!"

"Abby. No. Until you can calm down, the best place for you to see that he's okay is from right here."

"But, Gibbs!"

"No, Abby! No one is waking him up. Look, the sedative is mild and stops him from fighting the ventilator so he can be woken up. He's gonna get the rest he needs to recover. You got me?"

"Gibbs, I would never…"

"Abby, the answer is no. At least until he wakes up enough to realize where he is."

"Wait, he hasn't woken up at all yet?"

"Only for a minute and he was disorientated. Abby the drugs are keeping him drowsy enough to sleep though being on the machine. He woke up before and didn't even notice it." That had been playing on Gibbs' mind but he was assured that it was normal with the medication that they had Tim on.

"Oh, my poor Timmy!"

"Relax, Abby. I got him. You two, go get something to eat, come back here in an hour, maybe he'll be awake by then because they're dialing it back. Bring me back a cup of coffee."

"Okay."

As the women did as he requested, he breathed out a sigh of relief. That relief lasted only for a minute as Tim started to become agitated; his head tossing against the pillow as much as the breathing tube would allow. Seeing the movement from Tim's bed out of the corner of his eye; Gibbs made a beeline back into the room and to Tim's side and placed his hand on Tim's arm. He quietly spoke to him in hope that his words would soothe his agent.

"Tim. Relax. Easy now... Look at me."

Tim stopped panicking and looked at his boss; fear screamed from eyes as his mind fought to understand what he was waking up to. Where he hadn't even seemed to register the breathing tube when he'd woken earlier, now it was obvious that he knew it was there as his body's natural instinct to breath kicked in and he started to fight against the machine.

"Tim. Relax. Let the ventilator breathe for you. That's it." Gibbs kept encouraging as the young man did as he was told and relaxed, allowing the machine to pick back up on breathing for him.

"I'm gonna let the Doc come in and check on you okay? Let's see if they'll let you lose the ventilator." Gibbs spoke quietly in an effort to keep Tim calm even as he pushed down on the call button for the nurse's station.

Tim nodded, but didn't take his eyes off his rock of comfort. Gibbs held Tim's gaze and requested the doctor's presence when the call button was answered a moment later. When the doctor came in, he checked Tim's vital signs and glanced at the monitors that were attached to his patient. Finally, looking pleased he turned to Tim and spoke to him.

"Tim, your vital signs are looking good and your lungs are sounding better. You've still got a ways to go, so we're gonna keep the precautions in place. You're probably wanting the tube out – and we'll do that now, but you're gonna have to remain semi-upright and use a nasal canula until your lungs recover a bit more."

Tim nodded to show he understood and cooperated as the Doctor and two nurses instructed him in how to help them remove the breathing tube and replace it with the substitute that would at least allow him to talk.

"I'm going to count to three. I want you to try to exhale; alright, one, two, three." On the third count, the doctor pulled the tube out and quickly replaced it with a non re-breather mask. Once he was satisfied that Tim was breathing relatively easy, he took it away and put the canula on.

"Now. I want you to rest. I will allow visits, but they must be brief, no more than fifteen minutes per hour and no more than two people at a time. The remainder of the time, I expect you to sleep. Your body is in desperate need of all the sleep it can get. I know your throat is going to be sore so if you want some ice chips or water, you can. Just small amounts."

Tim nodded and let his eyes slide closed and he slipped back into sleep before he got the chance to have a drink. As the Doctor prepared to leave the room, Gibbs stepped out with him and pulled him to one side.

"Doc. I don't want him left alone. After what he's been through with his breathing problems, it'll scare him to think no one's there for him." The doctor would have argued, but he could see the genuine concern that nested in the steely blue eyes of the older man.

"All right. But that doesn't change my decision. Two people in his room at a time and no more."

With a silent nod of agreement, Gibbs headed back into Tim's room and reclaimed the seat by the bed. It was positioned perfectly and he knew without a shadow of a doubt, that Tim would know he was there and that he was not alone.

When Abby and Ziva returned an hour later, Tim was still sleeping. It wasn't the sound, peaceful sleep that Gibbs had hoped for but a fitful, tormented sleep where he found himself repeatedly having to whisper reassurances to the young man that he was no longer in danger and that he would be fine.

"Easy Tim. That's it, everything's alright. You're safe now so get some rest, alright…that's it. No one's gonna hurt you anymore. I've got your six." Tim only completely settled back down when Gibbs went the extra step and voiced the fact that he was there to watch Tim's back.

As the glass was once again gently tapped on to get his attention, the boss had just gotten the young man to settle back down into another period of peaceful sleeping and was reluctant to walk away from him. But, he knew the ladies needed to be reassured as well, especially Abby. And so, he forced himself to go out into the hallway and talk to them.

Abby was unhappy that Tim was obviously still not awake and was beginning to get wound up. She was ready to pitch her reasoning for being allowed into the room when Gibbs finally came out. Much to their surprise, the boss gestured for Ziva to go sit with the patient while he remained standing between Abby and the door to Tim's room. Before Ziva had taken more than a few steps, Gibbs gave her an important instruction.

"Make sure he can see you when he opens his eyes. Don't let him think he's alone."

Ziva nodded and quietly slipped into the room to replace Gibbs at Tim's bedside.

"Gibbs!" Abby railed against him as Ziva closed the door behind her and walked over to the chair Gibbs had vacated.

The boss was unrelenting and getting angry. "Abby. Do I need to call Tony and have him come get you?"

"Why would you need to do that?" Abby's confusion was palpable and she felt hurt at the fact that he even had to ask that question.

"So Ducky can give you something to help calm you down when Tony gets you back there."

"Oh. No. I'm sorry. I just really need to know that he's okay."

"Abby. Listen to me. Right now, the last thing McGee needs to be thinking about, is how things stand between the two of you. He's gotta concentrate on getting better."

"Of course! I wasn't …"

"If you can't calm down and be here for him as a friend who will put what he needs first; then you don't need to be here right now."

"I can do that. I can be calm. Of course, what he needs to get better comes first, Gibbs!"

"Good." Gibbs kissed her on the cheek and turned to go back into the room. Stopping before he opened the door; he remembered something that needed to be checked out. "Get your friend that called you about Alex being out of the hospital here as soon as possible. I need to talk to her."

"Gibbs!"

"Abby, don't tell her why but get her out here! I wanna know for sure, that there's no one else out there that had anything to do with this.

"She had nothing to do with this!"

"That's what you said about that bastard Alex! Do I really need to remind you that we almost lost McGee today? Look at him, Abby! Take a good hard look at what he's going through and tell me that your objections are more important than getting to the bottom of this! It was your objections about Alex's guilt that got us where we are as it is!"

"I'll call her." Abby answered remorsefully as tears glistened in her eyes.

"Now would be a good time." Gibbs snarked at her in aggravation, for once, not swayed by the sight of her tears.

As Abby pulled out her phone to make the call, Gibbs turned the knob on the door and headed into the room muttering, _"Unbelievable!"_ as he went. When Ziva saw the boss come back in, she vacated his chair and quietly told him that she thought the best thing for her to do was to take Abby back to the convent so that the Goth could rest before she took her to work in the morning. Gibbs agreed with her and sent up a silent prayer of thanks when they'd gone.

Gibbs spent a long night keeping watch and periodically having to calm Tim's night terrors. Apparently, this run in with Alex had left scars and Gibbs felt his heart breaking slightly at the deep rooted fear that seemed to plague Tim.

"You're safe now son. He can't get to you anymore."


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: We apologise for the delay.

* * *

The searing pain in his chest dragged Tim from the darkness back to the waking world around him. It took a moment for the painful spasm to dull to a constant ache and his breathing soon regulated under…._What the hell is that?_. He had noticed the steady rush of cool air on his face and reached up to find an oxygen mask planted firmly over his mouth and nose; _Huh? Ok, that can't be a good sign. _He turned his head and caught sight of his boss sleeping in the chair next to his bed. Unwilling to disturb the man who had been his rock in recent days, he lay there and thought about everything that had happened in the last couple of days….. _jeez, had it really only been a couple? It feels like a lifetime._

He silently hoped and prayed that the nightmare was over because in all honestly, there wasn't a whole lot more he could handle; either emotionally or physically. He was drained and Abby's harsh words resounding in his head seemed to compound his physical ailments, leaving him feeling completely wrung out. He had to admit though, having Gibbs watching over him the way he had been through all this, seemed to settle the fear that had attempted the creeping slide into his heart. The slippery fear of what the older man probably thought about him and his ability to do his job on Gibbs' team sat like a lead weight in his gut. Sure it was temporary, but after everything that had happened, had his boss lost all faith in him through all this? Tim vaguely recalled waking earlier and hearing Tony talk to him while Gibbs' had held his panicked stricken and most likely emotionally filled eyes as he'd been roused from his initial sleep. What was it Tony had been saying?

"_Having Gibbs' okay to date Abby again should have been a walk in the park, not this nightmare. I'm sorry I ever spent a minute feeling jealous of you and Abby having his okay about it. I know you've earned it."_

_"You know, Probie, I never meant for you to get hurt like this. I'm so sorry, man. We almost lost you. And now you're even more sick than you were before and I'd give anything to have handled this better so you wouldn't have gotten hurt."_

It felt so very wrong to know that Tony was feeling responsible for all of this. None of this was his fault! It wasn't Ducky's either; they were all simply innocent bystanders in one man's torrid onslaught against him….. _Wait, what about Ducky? Ducky was there; his friend had been there! What happened to Ducky? Oh, God, Alex had hurt the M.E.! Was he okay?_

Harsh labored breathing dragged Gibbs from his sleep. He glanced over at his agent, only to be shocked to find Tim in the midst of an all consuming panic attack. The young man's eyes were wide open and his ragged breathing rasped loudly in the quiet room; it was getting more and more worrisome by the minute leaving Gibbs with no choice but to quickly move over to him and attempt to calm him.

"Hey, McGee! Relax. You're fine. Look at me."

Tim gave one short nod to show he'd heard his boss and tried his hardest to calm down at Gibbs' bidding. He worked at forcing his breathing to calm and after a tense few minutes where Gibbs let his finger hover over the nurse's call button, Tim finally regained a semblance of control. Before this whole mess; he'd slowly been getting to the point where he could verbalize his worries instead of letting the silent fears drag him into that very place that caused his panic and left him feeling sick and unable to draw in the much needed oxygen. Now, before his breathing was completely calmed, he finally let his worry be known.

"Ducky?" he rasped out.

"Ducky? That what's got you so panicked? Relax. Ducky's fine. Alex knocked him out for a bit with some kind of drug but he's gonna be fine."

Tim nodded ruefully even as relief flowed through his veins while he absorbed his boss' words. He felt fear begin to creep in as he realized he was still getting a handle on things and it seemed to take slightly longer than usual.

"Why the hell didn't you just ask me?" Gibbs demanded as his relief at Tim's finally calming down soon gave way to anger with his agent. _How could he let himself to get this upset without asking him first_?

"Didn't wanna wake you." Tim choked out, not wanting the man to think he was ignoring the question.

"Well, ya did, anyway, McGee. Next time, just ask the damn question, all right?"

Tim nodded remorsefully, knowing he'd done the one thing he hated and worked hard not to do; he'd pissed the boss off. Gibbs saw the look of dejection flash across Tim's face and placed his hand on the ailing man's shoulder.

"Okay now?" Gibbs' dropped his tone to a more normal one and offered Tim a small smile.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Um hmm. How you feelin'?"

"Okay." Tim sighed heavily and winced at the pain that stabbed at his chest.

"Wouldn't be tryin to hide how you're really feelin' now would you?"

The pain was getting worse and Tim was trying his damndest not to cough. He soon lost the battle and felt like screaming as the convulsing, wet coughs jarred his already fragile feeling chest. He felt himself being pulled upright and held as Gibbs gently thumped at the centre of his back to dislodge the fluid from Tim's lungs.

"Don't hold it in, McGee. That's it….damn." Tim felt Gibbs move slightly and soon felt an emesis basin being thrust into his hands. "Use that! You've gotta get it out."

Tim coughed a few times and gagged slightly as his lungs gave up their tenuous hold on the thick mucus that lined them. It took a good five minutes for Tim to finally calm down and he slumped heavily against his boss.

"Sorry."

"What for?" Gibbs was confused and had no idea what Tim had to apologize for.

"This. Everything. You shouldn't have to…..see that." Tim coughed slightly half way through and felt a straw being held to his lips.

"Small sips. Been through this once before. It's nothing new to me." Gibbs' gentle reminder of the days after Tony's release from the isolation room at Bethesda didn't make Tim feel any better.

"Shouldn't…have…to do it…again."

"Hey, how about we put that oxygen back in place?" Tim was panting leaving Gibbs feeling worried as he gently replaced the mask. "You haven't answered my question, McGee. You wouldn't be tryin' to hide how you're really feelin' would ya; though I think that little episode pretty much answered it already."

Tim looked away and winced when the ache escalated into full blown stabbing.

"Yeah. That's what I figured." Gibbs said as he hit the call button and told the answering nurse that Tim was in need of more pain meds.

The nurse was soon there and checked on Tim's vitals before increasing the oxygen flow and injecting the pain meds into the I.V. lie that snaked into Tim's arm. The young man offered a small smile of thanks to both the nurse and his boss, and slipped back into a medicated, pain free sleep.

"I take it he had a rough one?" The nurse glanced up at Gibbs and offered him a smile.

"Yeah. Never thought I'd be here again."

"Again? He's been through this before?" The nurse held his gaze with a look of wonder and sympathy.

"Not him. One of my other agents had the plague a couple of years back; taught me what I needed to know then."

"Brad Pitt's patient? That guy was famous around here. Hell, he still is! First guy in recent times to get a disease from the dark ages." Gibbs glared at the nurse "Sorry. I'm sure Tim's glad you are here."

"Yeah. The kid's been through the ringer lately."

"Well, I've just given him some pretty strong meds and he'll be out for a while. Why don't you go and get some rest; or at the very least a coffee." Gibbs smiled at the nurse's comment and shook his head.

"I'm gonna stay with him in case he wakes up. Coffee would be good thought."

"Sure. Tell you what, how about I get you one from the nurse's lounge? We're all big caffeine junkies around here, but at least we've all got a bit of taste when it comes to good Java."

"Thanks. I'd appreciated that. Just black." He smiled at the nurse and sat back down with a heavy sigh.

"I'll be right back." The nurse left and returned a couple of minutes later with a tall, steaming cup of coffee that was good; even by Gibbs' standards. He settled further into the chair and sipped at the coffee; all the while, watching Tim and making sure his surrogate son was all right.

Gibbs had no idea how long he had sat there for, but it didn't seem long before Tony and Ducky arrived to relieve him so he could go home and get some rest. Gibbs stood up and stretched out his stiff muscles.

"How's he doin', Boss?"

"His lungs are starting to clear, DiNozzo. You remember the drill?" Gibbs kept his gaze firmly on his senior agent.

"I remember bits, Boss. I was kind of at the receiving end of that fun filled journey." Gibbs strode over to Tony and…..

_Thwack_

"Hey! I was just saying…"

"Do you remember or no DiNozzo? If not then say so and I'll tell ya what you need to do." Gibbs had kept the head slap light and wanted to get Tony's attention rather than berate him.

"Yeah, Boss. I remember. If he starts coughing, prop up the Probie and gently thump in the centre of his back. Is that alright? Because you know, the plague was pretty painful." Tony's brow creased into a frown and he glanced down at Tim's sleeping form.

"It's fine, Tony. The pain's on the side so you shouldn't hurt him anymore than the coughing fit will. You need to be strong because between the pneumonia and the damn pleurisy, he's in a lot of pain."

"Anthony, I am sure you are more than capable of helping Timothy right now. If anything, you are sympathetic to his plight which will no doubt help him in the long run." Ducky intervened and managed to curtail Tony's worry as much as he could.

"Yeah, alright. You not staying, Ducky?"

"Of course, my dear boy. I would like to go and speak to Timothy's doctor first thought." Tony nodded and sat down in the seat Gibbs had vacated.

"Duck, I'll walk out with you." Gibbs headed towards the door and waited for his old friend to follow "DiNozzo, you hit that call button if he starts to struggle again."

"Yes, Boss." Gibbs and Ducky walked out into the corridor and the senior field agent placed his hand on Ducky's shoulder to stop him.

"Jethro?"

"Duck, you need to talk to Tim. Damn near had himself a panic attack when he woke up and remembered that bastard knocking you out."

"Oh, my. As if that poor boy hasn't got enough to contend with. I will certainly take care of it, Jethro. You really do need to go on home and get some sleep." Ducky patted the hand that rested on his shoulder and smiled at Gibbs "He really is his own worst enemy sometimes. I'm afraid our Timothy certainly does like to worry."

"I know, Duck. That's why I need you to do this. You know what he was like when he first shot someone. He was withdrawn for weeks. He's sick and worried about you right now, but you can bet your bottom dollar he'll start worrying about what the hell went wrong between him and Abby once he knows you are all right."

"No doubt. All we can do is be there for him and try to keep him on track. Right now, I would prefer it if he concentrated on getting better. You say his lungs are starting to clear?"

"He's coughing stuff up which is a good sign, right?" Gibbs looked at Ducky for clarification.

"It's a step in the right direction, though I think he may have a different opinion on that right now." Ducky smiled ruefully at Gibbs and shook his head.

"How are you doing?" Gibbs' tone softened as he took in his friend's tired appearance.

"Ah, Jethro, I am fine. Just a little tired but all in all, I am actually feeling rather good." Ducky managed to waylay Gibbs concern.

"That's good. Don't overdo it, Duck."

"Jethro, will you please go home and get some rest before we have another member of our family falling ill through exhaustion?" Ducky couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice and hoped it had the desired effect of calming his old friend.

"Yeah. I'm goin'." Gibb's turned back to Tim's room and poked his head through the door "Tony, stay here with Ducky but keep checking in on Abby and Ziva. Abby's friend is on her way and I've told Abbs to call you when she gets here. Need to question her involvement, so call me as soon as she's at NCIS."

"On it, Boss." Tony answered seriously, knowing full well that he would _**not**_ be waking Gibbs up for what would amount to a routine interrogation. "Why not just get Abby to ca…"

"Because, DiNozzo, I don't want to know until she's there and Abby will call as soon as her friend's landed."

"Got it, Boss."

Time seemed to come to a screeching halt a good three hours later. Ducky was silently keeping vigil over Tim; who was thankfully still sleeping peacefully. Tony had checked in with Ziva and Abby several times; something he soon stopped doing after being admonished by a rather pissed of ex-mossad officer. He couldn't help but grin when he remembered the last conversation with her.

"_Tony, if you phone me one more time, then I will not be held accountable for my actions. If you do not wish for your phone to be pushed somewhere uncomfortable, then I suggest you let us sleep. It is not only I that you keep waking up, but Abby as well."_

"_Aww, come on Zeevah. I worry about my girls."_

"_And there is no other reason?" Ziva sounded incredulous at the fact that Tony was ringing purely to see how they were doing._

"_Well, there is the matter of Abby's friend."_

"_And I have told you that we will contact you when she arrives. If you ring one more time, I will harm you,understand?"_

"_Gotcha." Tony gulped audibly for effect "But just for the record, I called you all night because Gibbs won't be happy." _

_Ziva hung up leaving him standing there mid conversation._

Tony had taken to pacing the halls in the past half hour and was startled by his cell phone ringing loudly as he passed the nurse's station. He offered them a small, tight smile and walked down the empty corridor towards Tim's room to answer it. He paced nervously outside as he flipped it open.

"DiNozzo!" he snapped, already worked into a restless mess.

"_Tony, Abby's friend has arrived for her questioning_." Ziva's crystal clear voice gave the impression she had been awake for a while.

"Okay, Let Vance know, but don't call Gibbs. He needs the sleep."

"_Vance has already gone in to interrogate her. He made a point of telling us he was handling it from here."_ Ziva told him. Tony could detect a hint of bitterness in her voice at that nugget of information.

"Oh, Were you gonna tell me that or were you just gonna let me find out by wasting a trip over there?"

"_Wasting a trip? Tony there is no need to be so abstract."_

"Damn it Ziva, it's obtuse and until we get the all clear, Ziva, Probie's not being left unguarded." Tony's voice was dangerously low and angry; something that was bound to come back and bit him in the ass at a later date.

"_AH. I see. Yes, well, I guess we should be thankful that Vance has interfered then, yes?"_

"Intervened, Ziva. And yes, in this case, we should be thankful. You tell Abby?"

"_Oh, she knows."_ He could almost see the naughty little glint in her eye at her last statement._ "And will you please stop correcting my English. Now is not the time."_

"Ziva? What aren't you telling me?"

"_She has been very un-Abby like all morning, Tony"_

"You said she's been quiet." Tony frowned deeply; if Abby was quiet, then there was definitely something wrong.

"_Very quiet."_

"You two have a disagreement over at the Sister's place last night?"

"_No. I believe that this is the result of whatever Gibbs said to her at the hospital last night."_

"Oh, well, it must be serious, if Gibbs upset her." Tony laughed sarcastically. _If Gibbs was pissed enough to shout at Abby, then things were definitely bad._

"_I believe seeing McGee go through this is especially difficult for her, Tony." _Ziva tried to pacify Tony and make him see things from Abby's perspective. She knew it wasn't going to be easy given how her friend had acted, but then again, Tony hadn't been the one left to soothe her after the conversation with Gibbs.

"Yeah? Well, I'm sure it's no walk in the park for McGee, either." He was seriously struggling to keep the venom out of his voice. It was swings and roundabout and no matter how much they argued the point, the other person would see the arguments as moot.

"_Tony, I…"_

"Look, Ziva. I'm sure whatever's bugging Abby will soon come out in the light of day; she'll be letting us know soon enough. Maybe it has to do with how crappy she was to him when all of this first started, let's hope they can work it out because when it's working out between them; it's a good thing for everyone."

"_Light of day?"_

"Never mind." He filed that reference away for a later date; for now, he wasn't in the right frame of mind to elaborate on the finer points of the English language.

"_I will come relieve you for your lunch break at 12." _Ziva's tone softened slightly in the hope to calm Tony down.

"Good, bring me a pizza when you do, please."

"_Do you ever eat anything else?"_

"Duh, yeah! You've seen me eat Chinese, burrito's….."

"Later, Tony." Ziva chuckled slightly and interrupted his train of thought. "I have to go so I will talk to you later on."

With that, she hung up and left Tony gazing through the window at his Probie.

* * *

It was knocking on to two in the afternoon and Gibbs headed into the Lab with a huge Café-Pow for his favorite lab Rat. He wanted Abby to realize that he was no longer angry with her. The boss hoped that his surrogate daughter had had time to think about what he'd said to her as well as how she'd treated Tim; and was willing to work to make things right between herself and his agent.

"Hey, Abbs."

"Gibbs." Abby's tone was clipped and tight.

"Something wrong?"

"Are you serious? After the way you yelled at me last night? How can you ask me that?"

_Well that's an improvement at least_. The yelling at least let him know that she had indeed heard what he had said to her. "Come to any decisions yet? Figured anything out?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then, I did what I needed to do. How you doin?" He held her gaze while keeping his expression serious. He had done what he'd needed to do to guide her in the right direction and If that meant leaving her pissed at him then so be it.

"I feel horrible about this, Gibbs!" Abby's anger had totally ebbed away and left the Goth looking dejected and broken. She really had given his words a lot of thought and had no idea how in the world she was going to fix things with Tim.

"I know, Abbs, but the important thing here is whattaya gonna do about it so that it doesn't happen again?"

"You think I have more than 1 crazy ex-boyfriend?" She asked him incredulously.

"Not what I mean, Abby. You really think McGee's gonna keep letting you put him through the wringer like this? I happen to think you're on your last chance and only you can make sure it doesn't end badly." Gibbs was playing the voice of reason; he really didn't want to get into it again with her, but something's needed to be said and he was going to make sure she understood the sheer magnitude of the situation.

"I know. I know you're right. And I don't know what to say or do to fix it."

"That I can't tell ya Abbs, but I can tell you this much..."

"What?" She looked at him with a spark of hope in her large green eyes and wanted nothing more than for the closest thing she'd ever had to a father, to guide her. Her hope was soon extinguished, leaving her feeling numb and at a loss.

"You hurt him again, and it won't only be me you have to deal with; you'll have his team to contend with and it'll be quicker than you can think twice about things."

"Tony and Ziva?"

"They care more about him than you think, Abbs."

Abby nodded sadly and let the tears she'd been holding back fall. "Gibbs, what do I do. Please, I need you to help me figure this out." Gibbs wrapped his arms around Abby. He turned his head slightly so he could whisper In her ear.

"If you want it to mean something then you're the only that can figure that out Abbs. It's in your court now."


	30. Chapter 30

_A/N: We deeply apologise for the delay in updating this story.  
We also take this time to warn you - short chapter- by design._

_This Chapter wonderfully written by Shelbylou!_

* * *

Tim woke up feeling as though his head had been stuffed with cotton wool and his mouth was so dry that it acerbated the feeling that his throat was being scrubbed with sandpaper every time he drew in a breath. It was one of the unfortunate side effects of an amalgamation of things; the illness; the meds and the oxygen that had thankfully, been changed over from a mask to a canula a short while go. The one thing he was getting frustrated with, was the fact that no matter what they did to help, his body seemed hell-bent on betraying him and every coughing fit left him feeling wrung out and more exhausted than he had ever felt in his life. What with the pain from the pleurisy and the emotional stress, Tim wondered whether he would ever feel healthy again.

Tim sighed heavily, but stopped when the painful pull in his chest threatened to send him into a coughing fit; something that he had gotten more and more adept at recognising. Turning his head, he saw Tony sitting in the chair dozing with his head hung low on his chest. Tim smiled slightly at the sight of Tony's mask flittering slightly with every breath but he had to admit that it didn't look comfortable. Tim decided to leave him for the time being knowing how tired his friend had been; especially give the fact that he had been up all night trying to support Tim as he attempted to clear the thick fluid from his lungs each time he'd started to cough. He cringed when the all too familiar tickle started at the back of his throat and reached blindly for the bottle of water that had been put on the table to the side of him. He missed and hit the bottle with his hand which sent it crashing to the floor, waking Tony in the process.

"What the..." Tony jumped up and fumbled for his weapon before he realised what had happened "Probie? You alright?"

"Yea..." Trying to speak finally sent his ailing body into a coughing fit. Tony grabbed the Emesis basin and put it in Tim's lap.

"Easy. Come on sit up." Tony pulled Tim upright and let his friends head rest on his shoulder s he thumped him in the middle of his back. It was a routine he was all too familiar with; not from his help during the night; no, he knew it from Tim's side and knew damn well what it was like to have your lungs so full of fluid that you physically felt as though you were drowning. "That's it. Come on Probie, take a breath...That's it."

Tim handed him the basin back with a frown but didn't move away from his friend's support.

"Water..." Tim's voice was rough and haggard and broke slightly. Tony looked around and saw the water bottle on the floor.

"Hang on, McGee. Let me get them to bring you another one." He reached over and pressed the call button to summon one of the nurses on duty. He didn't have to wait long before one bustled in.

"Everything okay in here?" The young nurse frowned when she saw Tim being propped up by Tony "Tim, do you need anything?"

"Can you get him another bottle of water, please?"Tony flashed her his best grin and then realized that she couldn't see it through the mast he wore.

"Sure." The nurse left to get the water, leaving Tim sitting there panting slightly.

"Tony..I might...I need some...pain meds."

"That bad, Probie? I'm sure that cute little nurse will be able to give you something when she gets back." Tony felt Tim nod against his shoulder "Come on, lets get you laying down. You got enough pillows?"

"Yeah."

The door opened just as Tony was helping Tim settle back.

"Oh, do you think you could get him some more pain meds as well?" Tony asked the question without looking up from his ministrations.

"Oh, I can go and get someone if you want but i...Tony." Abby's small voice surprised Tony and made him glance up from where he was helping his friend.

"Abbs? What the hell? You know you're not supposed to be here."

"I know, it's just...I nee...I had to see that Timmy was alright." She stood in the door wringing her hands together nervously. Tim turned his head towards her voice and looked at her with a frown.

"Why?"

"Why what, Tim? I don't know what you mean."

"Why'd you come? Abby...I can't... not right now." Tony placed his hand on Tim's shoulder and could feel the tremors that wracked Tim's weakened body. At that moment the nurse stepped round Abby carrying a fresh bottle of water and a syringe.

"You're about due for your meds, so I'm going to give them to you now." Tim gave the nurse a grateful look "That bad, huh? Well, this'll make you feel better for a while; might even help you sleep."

"Thanks."

"Here." Tony had opened the water and handed it over to Tim. "Small sips; wouldn't want you to choke on top of everything else." He heard Abby whimper slightly and turned to face her.

"Damn it, Abby. You shouldn't have come. Not yet anyway."

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I just..I wanted to..." Abby broke off to bite back a sob that threatened to escape. She watched as Tim sipped at the water and relaxed as the medication took effect.

"There you go. Tim, Your levels have dropped so I'm going to put you back on the mask for a little while."

Tim seemed to slump further into the pillows at the news but didn't flinch when the nurse switched over to the thing that made him feel slightly constricted.

"There you go. I'll be back to check on you in an hour." She patted his shoulder and left the room.

"Abbs..." Tim held out his hand and waited patiently for her to go to him. When she didn't move, he glanced over at Tony with a look of sheer confusion on his face.

"I think, McGee wants you over here."

"Huh...Oh. Sorry." Abby moved towards the bed and grasped Tim's outstretched hand. She was close enough for Tim to pull her hand towards his chest and sighed when he held it there, ensconced in his own. Tim's eyes started to droop as the new pain meds threatened to drag him into oblivion.

"I'm going to go talk to Ducky." He shook his head at Abby's questioning gaze "I sent him for a break. He's in the cafeteria grabbing something to eat. I'll be back soon, McGee."

Tony didn't wait for a response before leaving, but stopped himself when he got to the door.

"Abbs..."

"I know, Tony. I won't."

Tony walked out of the room feeling more than a little trepidation at leaving Abby alone in the room with Tim. He knew she wouldn't do anything to hurt him further; or at least he hoped she wouldn't. Recent events had shocked him and he couldn't help but wonder whether his trust in her was misguided. He stood outside the room for a minute before making his way down to the cafeteria. It didn't take long before he was walking over to the small table that the M.E. had chosen; seemingly tucked away from the hustle and bustle around him.

"Hey, Ducky." Tony placed a fresh cup of earl grey tea in front of the exhausted looking M.E.

"Anthony, What on earth are you doing down here? You're not supposed to leave young Timothy alone. You know that." Ducky's voice held an edge of frustration that was caused by him getting very little sleep the night before. Whilst Tony had held Tim through the torrid coughing, Ducky had been the one checking on Tim's vitals and making sure that the episodes didn't affect his vitals.

"Abby's with him." Tony sat down and nursed his coffee for a moment before he took a long sip."Besides, they just gave him his meds so he should be out real soon.

"Abigail? What...Never mind. I'm not too sure whether leaving her there alone with Timothy is a good idea Anthony." Ducky admonished.

"I know. But we've gotta give her that chance. I don't think she'll do anything; not tonight anyway."

"This morning."

"What?" Tony glanced at his watch and frowned at the time; 0430. "Jeez. When did that happen?"

"Hmm. Seemingly whilst we were helping our trouble friend through his ordeal. How was he, Anthony?"

"They've got him back on the mask. He had a fit that ended up with his levels dropping so they put him back on that to try to bring them up."

Ducky sighed heavily.

"It's a temporary measure until they rise again. It's not a step backwards; as you well know." Ducky shook his head and, despite his reassurances, still looked saddened at the news.

"Yeah, I know. But it's McGee. Stuff like this doesn't happen to him. He doesn't deserve it." Tony slumped back in the chair feeling more dejected than ever.

"Oh but it can happen to anyone, my boy. When it does, we can only be there for each other and try to be of some comfort."

"Hmph. It's not always enough. Abby didn't trust us when we told her what was going on and that's going to leave deeper scars than this damn illness...for everyone." Tony said with anger.

"We shall see. That young lady should have taken on board what was being said rather than discounting the information that was presented to her." Ducky struggled to keep the anger out of his voice. "I got off the phone to Jethro just before you walked in. He said he had spoken to Abigail and he believes she wants to rectify her grievous error in judgement."

"Yeah well. We'll see. Any word on Alex?"

"Alex is fine. Hopefully, he will be back where he belongs soon enough." Ducky removed his glasses and rubbed at his eyes.

"He's got a psych consult later on. Vance has got two agents on the room so no one but the med staff goes in or out." Tony sighed heavily "I don't get it Ducky. Why?"

"It is anyone's guess, Anthony. What we do know is that he is a highly unstable individual that needs help. At least he is guarded so Timothy will be safe."

"What is it they say about small mercies?" Tony offered Ducky a small smile before getting up to get another cup of coffee.

Tim pushed through the fog and woke up for the second time in an hour. The pain was still hovering at a dull ache; something he could deal with given the agony he had been in before. He looked around the room before letting his eyes linger on the sight of Abby leaning over in the chair so her head rested on the bed. She was deeply asleep and Tim couldn't resist running his fingers through one of her pigtails. The movement roused her and she sat up stiffly before greeting Tim with a rueful smile.

"Hey Tim."

"Hey...You alright?" Tim's breath hitched slightly mid-sentence making Abby frown.

"Me? I should be asking you that."

"I'm alright."

"Tim, I need to talk to you. To Apologise. I can't believe how stupid ..." She broke off and stood up to sit on the edge of the bed. She grabbed Tim's hand carefully and held on for dear life "How stupid and blind i've been. I'm sorry, I know it probably doesn't mean anything, but I..."

"Abbs." Tim moved the mask away from his face. "Not now."

"When? Tim, it's killing me. I'm losing you because I protected Alex. I knew he was unstable and had problems, I just didn't think it would come to this."

"I..don't know...what you want me to...say."

"I want to know that there is a chance. I never meant to push you away but I did. There's no chance of me and Alex getting together; there wasn't a real relationship there in the first place. But with you? I felt as though there was something there; I still do." Abby felt a tear slip down her face and nuzzled into Tim's hand when he cupped her cheek.

"Still is...Just going to ...take time." Tim's breaths were coming in short panting bursts. Abby grabbed the oxygen mask and slipped it back over his face.

"Oh God. Sorry, I shouldn't put this on you now. We'll talk later, just don't take that off again." Tim nodded and settled back into his pillows; he didn't let go of Abby's hand and ran small soothing circles over it with his thumb.

Tim did't know how much time had passed, but they sat there in complete silence; they both seemed content in leaving the conversation there, though they both knew that it would be something that they would have to pick up at a later date. Tim was about to drift off again when he heard footsteps shuffle into the room; he didn't think anything of it and started to melt back to sleep when he heard a voice that was guaranteed to strike fear into his heart.

"Hello, Abby."


	31. Chapter 31

_A/N: Shelbylou has decided to treat you to an update once again (twice in 1 week, is a treat_

_This chapter is also her brainchild - brilliant - if I do say so myself._

_Enjoy!__

* * *

__Tim was about to drift off again when he heard footsteps shuffle into the room; he didn't think anything of it and started to melt back to sleep when he heard a voice that was guaranteed to strike fear into his heart._

"_Hello, Abby."_

Abby whirled round to the disturbingly familiar voice and stood gaping at the one person that had caused both her and Tim so much pain over the past few weeks; to her it was like looking into the eyes of the devil and she had no idea how to react.

"Alex! How did you get in here. GET OUT!"

"I don't think so Abby. Do you. I see you're little boyfriend there has survived." Alex gave a curt nod in Tim's direction and spat on the floor with disgust. "He can't have you. If I can't have you then no one can. You abandoned me Mon ange noir; you left me in that _place._ They don't care about me or how I feel."

"I'm not your dark angel anymore, Alex. I never really was." Abby looked horrified at the use of his pet name for her and stood up to block Tim from his view.

"Do you remember your pet name for me?" Alex's eyes practically shone as he tipped his head sideways as if contemplating the answer for himself. "DO YOU!"

"Corbeau" Abby practically whispered her answer.

"That's right Ange Noir. Corbeau. Do you remember what it means?"

"Raven. It means raven." Abby felt Tim's hand grip her waist; a motion he regretted when Alex shouted out and raised the gun that he had somehow acquired.

"TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF HER. YOU DON'T GET TO TOUCH HER! YOU GOT THAT?"

Tim withdrew his hand and started to cough.

"I need to help him." Abby turned but was stopped by a hand gripping her shoulder.

"No, mon amour. You don't."

Gibbs flopped onto his back and growled with frustration. Just after he had gotten off the phone with Ducky, he let his exhaustion lead him and found himself standing in front of his bed yawning loudly. He had soon stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed with a groan of approval at finally being able to get some sleep. Unfortunately his mind had other ideas and the deep pit of worry that seemed to permanently reside in the depths of his gut had done nothing but stir uneasily all night. He thought back to the conversation he'd had with Ducky.

"_How's he doing, Duck?"_

"_He's not a well man, Jethro. The coughing spells are gradually taking it out of him but at least his body is managing to expel the fluid on its own. I'm not afraid to say, that the procedure for doing it manually is not a pleasant on and will hopefully be avoided. He will recover but it's going to take some time."_

"_I know. It took DiNozzo ages. Speaking of which, he with you?"_

"_No. He told me to quote 'go and get something to eat and drink before I call the boss'. Hence the fact that I am currently sitting in the cafeteria with a cup of tea."_

"_Good. Listen, I want you to tell DiNozzo to be on his guard. I don't like the fact that Alex is only floor down."_

"_Please tell me he is guarded, Jethro. His injury..."_

"_Duck, he's guarded. Vance put a couple of good agents on the door and no one is allowed in but the people responsible for his care"_

The conversation had managed to pacify the scared M.E. but hadn't really done anything to ease Gibbs' mind. There was something there, churning in his gut; something that made him edgy and ...

"Damn it!" Gibbs swung his legs out of bed and stood up before moving to grab his clothes. There was no way he was going to get any sleep and so decided to go back to the hospital in hope that it would help settle his uneasy mind.

Half an hour later, and Gibbs was driving to the Bethesda with his phone plastered to his ear; he had been trying to get hold of Tony but seemed to get the voicemail everytime.

"_You've reached the voicemail of very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. I can't take your call right now, but leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."_

Gibbs slammed his hand on the steering wheel in frustration and waited impatiently for the beep.

"DiNozzo. Why the hell aren't you answering your phone? Call me back." He slammed the phone shut and threw it down heavily on the passenger seat; something was wrong and he didn't like it one bit.

"Alex, you ...don't...have to do...this." Tim tried to reason with the mentally unstable young man holding both him and Abby at gunpoint.

"I don't? Hmm, I'll be the judge of that. What do you expect when you take away my Ange Noir; my reason for being; my heart and sou..." Alex seemed to lose himself slightly in the endearments giving Tim a chance to pull out the IV and catheter; he just about managed to suppress the groan when the rubber tubing slipped away leaving him free to move if needed.

"I'm not a piece of land that you get to stake a claim to, Alex. It didn't work between the two of us and won't work now."

Alex stood and contemplated her answer before something dangerous shot through his eyes.

"You don't mean that, Abby. You know it all make sense; me and you in the wonderful city of New Orleans. We could do things that you could only dream about." He gazed at Abby with lust in his eyes "I'm a gorgeous man, Abby. What more could you want? Him?" Alex started to laugh uncontrollably at the sight of Tim sitting there struggling for breath "what can he offer. I actually care about my appearance."

"He cares and the only reason he looks like that now is because of what you did, Alex. You were wrong; you can understand that, right?" Abby took a step forward towards Alex but he stepped back waving the gun.

"_I _did that? He did that to himself! It's his fault. All his fault. How could he do this to me? TO US? What is it that you see in him? Look at what he HAS DONE!"

Alex started to pace and looked as though he was torn. Abby had done a lot of research into his illnesses and knew that the lack of remorse or empathy that he was showing Tim right now was a symptom of APD; just like the grip he was losing on his temper and the aggressive behaviour that he had shown recently. He had no behavioural controls; he couldn't think straight and seemed to have a severe lack of knowledge as to what was wrong or right. They were symptoms; nothing more, nothing less and she knew that; had defended him because of them. But now, she felt nothing but fear and a sickening resentment for what he had done.

That was why Abby had talked him into going to the doctors and seeking help in the first place; she had hated the possessiveness, the violence and the fact that he demanded sex every time he was with her. It wasn't a relationship; it was a dictatorship on his part.

"Yes, Alex. You did that. Do you remember what you did?" Abby tried the sympathetic approach hoping to calm him down as she could see him getting more and more agitated.

"I didn't do anything wrong and if you keep telling me I did I'm going to...I'm going to..."

"Going to...do...what." Tim was struggling to sit up at the sight of this psychopathic maniac getting more and more wound up and wanted nothing more than to protect Abby; even in the state he was in.

"SHUT UP! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT. NO. NO. NO. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT. Who do you think you are?,You have no right. You can't and won't take her away." Alex stopped his pacing and stood in the middle of the room brandishing the weapon and shaking his head.

"Tim. Please, get back in bed."Abby's pleas bore through his soul when he saw the level of distress on her face.

"No. Abb's just play it safe, alright. Don't do anything to upset him anymore."

"Whispering. Why are you whispering. That's not right. I call the shots here. Me! No one else." With that, Alex pulled the trigger.

Gibbs walked through the parking lot towards Bethesda's entrance; he was surprised when he saw a familiar figure a few feet in front of the door.

"Ziva." He saw the Israeli turn and smiled at the embarrassment that she obviously felt. "Thought you'd be getting some shut eye."

"I tried, Gibbs. I can't explain it but I felt...I just had to be here. I could feel it deep down in the pit of my stomach. You know what I mean, yes?"

"Yeah. My gut told me the same thing. I called Duck and he's in the cafeteria with DiNozzo so how about we go and grab some coffee before we go and see McGee."

"That sounds wonderful. I think the caffeine will be welcomed this morning."

They both walked through the hospital corridors discussing the situation with hushed tones. It wasn't long before they both walked through the door to the canteen and sat down with Ducky and Tony to drink their drinks. Gibbs frowned at the sight of Ducky sitting there with a buff coloured manila file in front of him.

"DiNozzo, isn't there somewhere you need to be?" Gibbs growled out the question between clenched teeth; he was totally pissed at the fact that his Senior Field agent had left Tim alone.

"Abby's with McGee, Boss. I wanted to give them some time alone." Tony rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hand and sighed heavily "He's alright and Abby remembers what to do."

"Was he alright with her being there?"

"Seemed to be. Boss, he's fine." Tony's exasperated voice betrayed his exhaustion and he knew he had stepped out of line with his boss.

"You need to get some sleep, DiNozzo. As soon as we see McGee, I want you to go home and get some rest, you got that?" Gibbs's compassionate tone surprised Tony.

"Got it, Boss. Thanks."

Gibbs gave Tony a small smile and turned his attention to Ducky.

"What you got there, Duck?"

"Good Morning, Jethro, Ziva. It's Alex's file and I must say it's very enlightening. I understand that Abby told you that he suffers from both APD and HPD; that in itself is problematic. The fact that I severely underestimated the extent is even more troublesome." Ducky handed over one of the pieces of paper out of the file and sat back whilst Jethro read.

**INPATIENTS PSYCHIATRIC CONSULTATION REPORT**

**Doctor: Doctor Lisa Lasalle**

**Date: 27/8/2009**

**Patient Reg: GREENE8215**

**Name of Patient: ALEX GREENE**

**Patient DOB: 14/4/1976**

**Patient gender: Male**

**Patient age: 34**

**INTERVAL HISTORY: I saw and examined this patient; reviewed nurses' reports and all other notes and reports made during the last 48 hours; and discussed the case at today's interdisciplinary team meeting. The following is pertinent:**

**MENTAL STATUS EXAMINATION (minimum of 5 components assessed):  
Appearance/Attitude**: _Patient appears agitate and edgy and doesn't seem interested in the rules that have been laid down in this session__**.**_**  
Psychomotor Behavior:  
Speech/Language: **_has a style of speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacks in detail ._

**Affect:  
Mood: Passively aggressive. **_Tends to bounce from overly happy and overt to moody and withdrawn.  
_**Thought Process/Form of thought: **_inability to tell the difference between right and wrong. His thoughts tend to drift to the darker side of Gothic and he sees himself as some type of messenger for the devil._**  
Thought Content/Perceptions: Violence seems **_to be predominant in Alex's thoughts today. He shows no empathy or remorse for his actions over the past week and his thoughts sway towards assigning blame to the other people involved.  
_**Sensorium/Level of awareness:  
Attention/Concentration: **_Concentration is poor and his attention span is severely compromised_**.  
Memory/recent/remote: **_Alex has a stupendous memory, though he has the ability to warp these to his own gain. His thoughts tend to drift back to his ex-girlfriend._**  
Fund of knowledge:  
Executive Functions:  
Insight/Judgment:**

**Differential Diagnosis: APD/HPD****  
****General medical/surgical problems: **_None_**  
****Justification for Continued Hospitalization: **_High risk to the public therefore my recommendation is that Alex stays hospitalised for the foreseeable future._**  
Target Discharge Date: **_Unable to give a date - TBC_********************SUBSEQUENT DAY TREATMENT PLAN******************

_Alex tends to show atypical symptoms of both the disorders that he has been presented with. Please see below for a comprehensive list:_

_APD – Antisocial Personality Disorder & HPD – Histrionic Personality Disorder_

_Alex struggles to conform to the rule and regulations of this institution and has repeatedly shown a complete disrespect for the Law. This has been made evident by the fact that he boasts about his previous criminal injustices and shows little or no remorse for his actions. This leads perfectly to the fact that Alex is not comfortable in any situation where he is not the centre of attention and will do anything to turn everyone's attention onto himself; regardless of who he hurts in the process._

_Alex uses deceitfulness in his relationships with others. He has consistently lied and used false names with other patients and has used his intelligence to con people for either profit or pleasure. He can be outwardly sexually inappropriate to both female patients and staff though has displayed rapidly shifting and shallow expressions of emotion to the events._

_Alex refuses to plan ahead and doesn't recognise the need for a systematic approach to his treatment. He is dangerously impulsive and injured another patient when his impulsive behaviour recently presented itself. The one consistent in his life is the fact that he shows OCD tendencies when it comes to his personal appearance. He has been known to spend hours grooming himself to draw attention to himself when he interacts with others._

_There is a definite irritability that surrounds Alex and his angry tendencies have increased in frequency in recent weeks. Each time it has resulted in violent behaviour and has led to Alex assaulting the nurses and doctors that have been trying to help him. Each time, he has been sedated and restrained; leading to further psychiatric consultations and the prescription of medications to calm to him down._ _This leads to my observation of complete disregard for the personal safety of others._

_Alex displays a persistent lack of skill when it comes to taking responsibility or establishing a good pattern for his working habits. He fails to accept responsibility for items that have been stolen from the other patients despite them being found in his room and tends to fall back on verbal abuse when confronted with the issue._

_Alex shows an inane inability to tolerate boredom of any kind. If his mind isn't occupied, he tends to show signs of OCD with regards to people that have scorned him in the past._

_Alex doesn't display the typical symptom of being suggestible as seen in other HPD patients, but that can be explained by the APD symptoms outweighing this. He does tend to consider relationships to be more intimate than they are and 'latches' onto people that he deems worthy._

In short, Alex is unstable and my recommendation is that he is detained for further treatment as outlined below:

_Long term course of psychotherapy_

_Supervised group therapy to help interact with other people_

_A course of anti-depressants and mild sedatives (NB – PLEASE SEE ATTACHED PRESCRIPTION)_

_Behavioural therapy_

_Anger management _

_I have scheduled sessions for Alex and have handed this over to his primary physician for implementation._

_Doctors Signature: Dr. Lisa Lasalle_

_Date: 27/8/2009_

Gibbs finished reading the report and sighed heavily before handing it over to Ziva to read.

"Lisa Lasalle? Where do I know that name from?" Gibbs glanced at Ducky and shook his head. He was exhausted and his tired mind just wouldn't connect the dots.

"Abby's friend is called Lisa." Tony shrugged slightly but frowned when he saw the look on Gibbs' face.

"Yeah, Probably. Is there anything else in there that will help, Duck?"

Ducky shook his head morosely "It's more of the same I'm afraid. This young man is a troubled individual who has no respect or concern for others due to his illness. He doesn't know what right or wrong is and has no idea how much of an impact his actions actually have." He closed the file and pushed it away from him with a sigh. Seeing this, Tony reached over and started to go through the paperwork that was there.

"Er, guys. Did either of you know he held his Doctor Lasalle hostage. There's something that just doesn't sit right with me about her." Tony held up a piece of paper as evidence.

"HE WHAT!" Gibbs grabbed the report and scanned through it. "DiNozzo, go back to NCIS and run Dr. Lisa Lasalle through the system. I want any information that you can find on her including photographic ID. Ziva go with hi..."

Gibbs' phone started to ring, cutting him off mid sentence.

"Gibbs." His tone was harsh and abrupt as he answered the phone.

"_Gibbs, I've just got word that the agents outside Greene's room were found unconscious. Alex Green has escaped and is loose in the hospital." _Vance's voice held a thick note of desperation that he very rarely heard from the other man.

"WHEN?"

"_We don't know. We've just got word. I want you all to watch McGee like a hawk. Don't let him out of your sight."_

"On it." Gibbs snapped his phone shut and jumped up out of his chair.

"Alex escaped! We need to get to McGee and Abby NOW!"


	32. Chapter 32

"ABBY!"

Tim felt adrenalin surge through his body when he saw Alex's finger tighten on the trigger and lunged forward in his bed to grab Abby and pull her out of the way of the bullet. In Alex's troubled mind, he hadn't really aimed his gun and had shot blindly...towards Abby.

He landed heavily on his back and felt the air whoosh out of his lungs at the dead weight that lay across his chest. It took him a moment to realize that Abby was slumped across him unconscious and as he lay there gasping for the breaths that were barely enough to sustain him, he placed one of his hands on her head; it wasn't soft though. It wasn't the silken hair that he knew and love; no. It was wet and when he pulled his hand away he saw the blood that coated his hand.

"No! Abby...Abbs." Somehow he managed to manoeuvre himself into a sitting position and shook Abby's limp form to try to wake her. There was no response so he placed two fingers on her neck and was relieved to find her pulse beating erratically below the pads of his fingers.

"Mon Ange Noir...No!...Mon amour... s'il vous plaît être bon. je suis désolé... je suis désolé" Alex stepped forward but stopped when he saw Tim reach over to cup Abby's face "Non! elle est le mien"

"Alex...I don...I don't speak much ...French but...she..." Tim tried to gulp in a huge breath "She isn't...yours."

"She will always be mine! If I can't have her then no one can." Alex seemed lost in his own fantasy and waved the gun around as he spoke. The fact that he wasn't paying attention to Tim, gave the agent the chance to free himself carefully from Abby and step out of the bed; leaving his girlfriend laying across the mattress uncomfortably.

"She's with me now, Alex."

"She is mine! She will always be mine! No, no, no." Alex started to shake his head. "Si je ne peux pas...If I can't have her then no one can. ELLE M'APPARTIENT!"

"You have to ... let her...go. Please...She needs...help." Tim was panting with the effort of slowly moving round the bed and knew that the only reason why he was moving in the first place was because of the adrenaline that flooded through his veins at that very moment.

"Pourquoi? Tell me. Why should I do what you say? You are weak and have succumbed to..." Alex cocked his head and Tim felt a creepy cold feeling crawl up his spine at the action. "Me!"

Tim watched with sheer, abject horror as Alex raised the gun again and pulled the trigger; only this time he didn't hear the all too familiar sound of the weapon discharging; nor did he feel the impact that he was sure to feel if the bullet had left the chamber. No, what he did hear was a hollow clicking noise that told him that the chamber was empty of the ammunition that should have been there.

"Non! Non!...I have to...This can't be...This..." Alex didn't get to tell Tim what it was and felt a body slam into him, knocking him off balance for a moment before he fell to the floor. The gun skidded away from Alex and came to rest just under the bed.

"Calm..." Tim coughed harshly . "Calm down!"

"No! Let go of me..."

Tim used every bit of strength he had to try and keep Alex pinned to the ground but he was too strong and flipped them both around. Tim was winded when a knee was pushed hard into his ribs and felt every last bit of air rush out of his lungs.

"You say you are not weak and yet here I am. I am like Hercules; I am as strong as Samson and you WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STOP ME." Alex sat up and wrapped one hand tightly round Tim's throat. Tim started to choke and between the knee that was still pressing into his chest and the constriction around his throat; he knew he was a dead man.

"You will never match me! You think you are so special because she _chose_ you. Well she didn't. She has always wanted me and Mon Ange Noir will always have eyes for me...ME!"

Tim's vision started to grey as the pressure stopped him from drawing in the laboured breaths that he had been struggling with recently. He'd take those any day over this; now he was suffocating completely and couldn't draw in any oxygen even if he wanted to. His was startled awake when Alex relaxed his grip around his neck and could finally draw in a slight breath.

"Alex...please..." Tim used the little bit of air that he had drawn into his lungs to try to plead with the troubled young man who was hell bent on killing him right now.

"You beg? You are weak. FIGHT! DAMN IT FIGHT!" He saw red and Tim could have sworn he saw something flash through the psycho's eyes just before he delivered a haymaker punch to his ribs. It was hard and precise and Tim felt a sickening pain shoot through him as the punch finally snapped his already fragile bones.

"ALEX GREEN. BACK AWAY! BACK AWAY NOW!"

Tim opened his eyes to see Gibbs standing in the doorway with his weapon cocked and aimed at Alex's head.

"You took one in the shoulder already. This one'll is aimed right at your head. Killshot." Gibbs' voice was low and menacing as he inched forward towards his fallen agent. "Back away."

Alex was startled when he felt two hands grab his arms and pull them back in a way that he couldn't move. He was yanked up off Tim and felt his pinned arms yanked behind his back painfully before handcuffs were slapped on and tightened to the point of cutting of circulation.

"You bastard. You think you can play with my family and get away with it. You're done! You got that? Done!" Tony's voice was practically a whisper but he still managed to inject as much venom into his words as possible. "Now, you're gonna go with the nice men and hope that they don't do too much damage. Mind you, if they don't then you might want to watch your back because I will kick your arse so hard that you will be choking on my damn boot."

"Tony..." Gibbs' warning drew Tony out of the tempest of headspace that he had fallen into "He's not worth it and our people need us."

"I know." Tony glanced up and saw Ziva standing at the door with Balboa's team. "Get him out of my sight. Get him sectioned; get him...whatever! I don't care. Just get him away from Probie and Abb's." Tony shoved Alex forward and as if the mentally unstable man had only just remembered his injury, he hissed loudly.

"My shoulder..."

"Is nothing compared to what you have done to these two." Tony grasped Alex's injured shoulder and squeezed hard "This pain is nothing in comparison to what you have put McGee through and is nothing compared to what you are gonna get."

"Let's Go!." Balboa stepped forward and manhandled Alex out of the room; leaving Gibbs, Tony and Ziva completely stunned into silence for a fraction of a second. Gibbs dropped to his knees and placed His hand on Tim's face.

"McGee. Tim, look at me." Tim's face turned towards his boss' face but the slightly movement proved too much and the gasp of pain soon turned into a harsh coughing fit. "Crap...Tony go to Abby. Come on McGee, sit up...come on!"

Tony watched as Gibbs sat Tim up and grimaced at the look of pain on his Probie's face. When he turned to Abby, he watched as two nurses and a doctor got her laid down on the bed and checked her wounds. He moved towards them and placed his hand on Abby's leg.

"Doc?"

"It's not too bad and looks like a graze. The bullet didn't penetrate but she's completely out so I'm not ruling out a grade III concussion and need to get a cat scan on her to check for any swelling."

Tony nodded knowing how bad a grade III concussion could be; worst case scenario would mean his baby sister would suffer some kind of neurological damage; best case scenario...well Tony just prayed for that one. Best case scenario would be a little bit of unconsciousness followed by a complete loss of memory as to what happened and neurological checks every half hour when she woke. Add that to the mother of all headaches and he knew that Abby was going to be sick for quite a while.

"Aww, Crap...no McGee...Come on son, don't do this."

Tony whirled round at Gibbs' frantic muttering and felt sick to his stomach when he saw blood pouring out of Tim's mouth. The doctor had obviously heard the tense pleading and barked orders at the nurses before turning and crouching down beside Tim.

"Mr..."

"McGee, Tim McGee." Gibbs filled in the blank with Tim's name and shook his head. "He's got pleurisy and the onset of pneumonia as a result of previous injuries."

"Looks like they've been aggravated. Tim I need to you look at me." The doctor scrutinized Tim's face and noticed the blue tinge that started to appear around his lips "Cyanosis. Damn it, I need to intubate." At that moment two more doctors flew into the room followed by four nurses. One of the doctors and another nurse moved to help Abby whilst the other knelt on the floor.

"I need the intubation tray and can one of you contact the O.R. and tell them we've got a pneumothorax that has been caused by a broken rib." A laryngoscope was handed to him and the team watched with horror as the doctor took position at the top of Tim's head and used the instrument to push the tracheal tube down Tim's throat.

"Alright, bag him. He's not getting enough air and we need to give him as much help as possible." One of the nurses attached a bag to the end of the tube and started to rhythmically pump the bag to try to give Tim the much needed oxygen. As they were doing that, the doctors turned their attention to inserting I.V's into Tim's hands and hooked him up to the fluids that would help him.

"Doc. They gonna be okay?"

"I don't know, sir. I simply just don't know."

The team was waiting in the family room of the hospital waiting for news on their two injured friends. Ducky, who had been standing at the end of the corridor on Gibbs' orders; had seen both of his young friends whisked away for treatment and was currently pacing the small room.

"Duck. Sit down, will ya?" Gibbs ran an exhausted hand over his face and sighed heavily at the tension in the room.

"What? Oh, sorry." The M.E. sat down next to Gibbs and glanced over at Tony and Ziva. "It is good to see them getting some rest, though I don't think they will stay like that for long."

"Leave 'em be, Duck. They're bone tired and were ordered to get some sleep."

Ducky glanced at Gibbs with raised eyebrows knowing that there was more than simply ordering them to rest. Gibbs shrugged.

"Told them that it was either that or I'd have them sedated. Don't care which one as long as they're resting."

"That was harsh, Jethro. But needed." Gibb's chuckled slightly at the comment and shook his head.

"I couldn't keep McGee and Abbs safe. Least I can do is make sure my other two kids are alright." He rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Damn it, Duck. I couldn't keep them safe. I failed them."

"No. You didn't. Obviously that troubled young man was brighter than what we thought."

"Who? Alex?"

"Who else? Listen to me now. There had to be someone else working alongside him, I mean there was no way he blindsided two agents at his door by injecting them both with a sedative."

"I know. I just can't figure out who. Right now Lisa Laselle looks like the prime suspect and I've spoken to Vance about getting a subpoena to ransack her office and computers. Leon had Balboa on the case and found that Abby's friend Lisa is the Doc that Greene was under at the psych hospital." Gibbs sighed sadly and shook his head "I should have made that connection."

"Jethro, right now Timothy is in surgery and Abigail has a grade III concussion and is unconscious. Now is not the time for blame. Do we know where Dr. Laselle is?"

"No. We couldn't hold her at NCIS and she disappeared off our radar. We think she's still in D.C. but we just don't know where because the name of the hotel she gave has no record."

"Is it possible that she is the one that overpowered the agents guarding Alex. I mean she would have the medical know how and depending on how busy the staff were, it is possible that they didn't blink an eyelash at her walking around; especially if she was wearing a doctors jacket." Ducky tried to piece together the events that led up to them waiting for news of their team mates.

"It's possible but unlikely. Duck, this is a naval hospital and the security is higher than average."

"Yes, but it's obviously not infallible. Security camera's?"

"Vance is on it, Duck. I can't think about this right now."

"Jethro..."

"Anyone here for Abigail Scuito?" A young, female doctor poked her head into the room and shook her head when four people shot up; two of which looking as though they had just woken up.

"Yeah. How is she?" Gibbs got straight to the point.

"She's got a grade III concussion and has just regained consciousness. There's some memory loss of the incident but her long term memory seems alright for the moment and she can remember most of what happened up until the point of being grazed by the bullet. The good news is that there's no skull fracture but she's dis-orientated and her left pupil is sluggish and slightly enlarged."

"Brain damage?" Ducky's panicked tone rang through the room.

"Early indications say no but the CT scan showed a small amount of swelling. We're not worried at the moment seeing as all the other signs are good but will be keeping an eye on it in the next couple of days." The doctor paused and looked around in case they had any questions.

"Can we see her?" Tony stood there holding Ziva's hand to offer his silent partner the support that she needed. Right now, she stood there trembling as shock set in at what she witnessed.

"Not just yet. She's going to be moved to a private room in a short while and then she is going to rest and let us do what we have to, to help her. For now, I advise that you all go home and get some sleep because we won't know anything until the morning."

Gibbs scowled at the advice and shook his head. Until he knew exactly what was going on with all his people, then there was no way in hell he was leaving this hospital.

"That's not gonna happen. We're not leaving her to think none of us are here for her." He advised her without backing down.

"Yeah, c'mon, at least let us see her for a minute so she knows we haven't left her." Tony added now that Gibbs had thrown down the gauntlet.

"Very well, Five minutes. That's all I can give you. She needs her rest. As far as someone staying with her, that's not advisable. You all need rest yourselves. And she will need someone to stay with her when she is released . You'll want to be ready to help her then. I promise you, she will recover just fine."

"And Tim McGee?"


	33. Chapter 33

Gibbs glanced at the clock and noticed that morning had soon crept up on him. He looked over at the hospital bed and sighed heavily at the sight of Tim laying there, lost in the sleep world that would hopefully bring with it the start of the road to recovery for the poor guy who'd already been through more in the last month than any one person deserved to have to go through in a lifetime.

Thinking back to the moment when Gibbs could finally see Tim after that lunatic managed to get his hands on him again, Gibbs found that the sight of his agent propped up on pillows with a tube trailing from the dressed incision in his side, no less disturbing or shocking than the first time he laid eyes on him. He remembered talking to the doctor about an hour after starting his vigil and still couldn't fully understand why Tim's chest wasn't bound tightly to stop the broken ribs from moving more.

_Four hours ago…_

"_Doc?" Gibbs followed the doctor out of the room so he didn't disturb Tim. "He gonna be okay?"_

"_Agent Gibbs, he's gonna be fine. He's got quite a few weeks of healing to get through but all in all I think his lungs will heal with no lingering effects. That is, __**if**__ the pneumonia doesn't get worse. The pleurisy is being treated with intravenous anti-inflammatory medication along with Antibiotics for the infection he presented with when he was bought in. That's all we can do for him right now. The best thing for him right now is restriction of movement and rest." The doctor paused briefly to let Gibbs take in the information he was presented with before adding a little covert warning at the end, "And plenty of both."_

"_What about pain? He's been through enough and I don't want him being in pain anymore than he has to be."_

"_We've got him on a morphine pump and oxygen. We're going to be monitoring him closely for the foreseeable future to make sure the medication doesn't cause any more respiratory issues. Don't worry; we don't want him to be in pain any more than you do so we'll keep doing what we can to manage that." The doctor smiled warmly at Gibbs. "He really will be alright. If he does exactly what we tell him to and rests then he should be out of here inside of two weeks. However, if he can be confined to complete bed rest, it's possible to release him into someone's care after just one. But it will mean strict adherence to medical recommendations upon his release."_

"_Thanks, Doc. One more question. Why haven't you taped his ribs? I mean, they're broken so won't leaving them unbound cause more problems?"_

"_No. In fact taping them can cause more issues especially with his difficulty breathing. If it was merely a case of his ribs being injured, then maybe they could be wrapped up; but the extra stress on his lungs by breathing whilst constricted could cause problems. That's why I stressed restriction of his movements. Just try to keep him still so he doesn't dislodge anything and if he shows any distress whether it be pain or trouble breathing, then you make sure and let someone know."_

"_Thanks, Doc." Gibbs turned and started to walk back into the room before another piece of equipment flashed through his mind. "Doc! What about the tube?"_

"_That stays in I'm afraid. At least until his lungs are strong enough to expel the fluid on their own. The injuries combined with the pneumonia have left his lungs seriously weakened and need all the help we can give them right now. So, for the next few days your young man will have to put up with the chest tube and the catheter as well as the numerous other wires too. Just keep in mind, that the chest tube is actually helping ease some of his pain. If he had to do all the breathing on his own, he'd be hurting a lot worse than he is with it in." The doctor offered a small smile of encouragement and walked away with a small shake to his head._

_Present time….. _

Gibbs stretched his aching, cramped muscles and flexed his legs to get the circulation flowing again; after having spent almost the entire night barely moving while watching over his agent. They protested angrily at the movement forced on them now, but he'd refused to move around much earlier for fear of waking Tim who desperately needed the healing power of a restful sleep. Even the brief walk to the hallway to talk to Tim's doctor earlier hadn't eased his body's complaints of stiffness.

Gibbs had to admit to having felt torn between his kids and for a minute he didn't know who to stay with; Tim or Abby. He hated the fact that two of his surrogate kids were in the same hospital with injuries that had frightened the life out of him but the severity of Tim's previous injuries and illness, which he knew were seriously complicated by the young man's newest injuries, made his decision an easy one to reach. Tim needed him, not just so that he wouldn't be alone, but so that he would know he was important, too.

Even so, it had been a relief when the doctor walked in and told him his two hurt people were as resilient and stubborn as the rest of his team. She also told him that she'd agreed to let Tony watch over Abby. Apparently, the pressure that Tony had put the harassed young Doctor under was accentuated by whispered begging from Abby who had woken up just long enough to let them know that she was gonna be alright and that all that was wrong was that she had the killer headache from hell; that and she desperately wanted one of her friends to keep her company.

Ziva had finally been convinced that there was nothing she could do that Tony couldn't do for Abby just as well and that she needed to go and get some rest. Gibbs and Tony were slightly shocked when she agreed that her help would be needed more later on than now and she had hugged them before heading off to stay with Ducky until they both felt ready to head home for some sleep, with the promise of returning in the morning before work. So, Tony had stayed with Abby feeling the knot of tension release slightly knowing that his family was safe and none of them would be left to work through any of this alone.

Now, here it was; 0600 and Gibbs was glad to see Tim still sleeping peacefully and, at least for the moment, pain free. He scowled slightly at the empty coffee cup sitting on the nightstand and shook his head. As badly as he wanted coffee, he refused to leave Tim alone. After everything the young man had been through, the last thing he needed to experience was waking up to find no one here with him and knowing his luck, Tim would wake up in the ten or fifteen minutes it would take him to go get a refill.

Thankfully, Ducky and Ziva arrived bearing a selection of Danishes and several cups of his favorite blend of coffee. It was fresh, hot and had an aroma that made his mouth water. With the grin that could rival a Cheshire cat, Gibbs thanked them both and took some time to take a walk with his refreshments while Ducky looked over Tim's chart and Ziva sat by his bed watching him breathe steadily; the motion of his chest soothing her need to know that this man who was a cherished friend was in fact, alive.

Just down the hall, another vigil was still in full force as Tony woke up slumped down low in the hard, hospital chair where he had been napping. Sitting up, he couldn't help the groan of discomfort that escaped his lips when his muscles protested loudly against the long hours he'd spent in the cramped chair. But, with a resolve that would have made his boss proud, he stayed firm and was unwilling to leave Abby alone. He rubbed a hand over his eyes to try to get rid of the foggy, haziness of exhaustion and caught a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. Glancing up, he looked over to the door, to find Gibbs gazing in through the large window in the door.

Tony stood up and quietly made his way over as far as he needed to so he could talk to his boss. "Hey, Boss. How's McGee?"

"No change. At least he slept through the night without any problem. I'm hopin' he'll be out for a few more hours yet."

"You left him alone?" Tony asked with a surprised, disappointed tone.

"Not likely, DiNozzo. Ducky and Ziva are with him." Gibbs answered him scowling at the question that almost sounded like an accusation. He let his eyes trail to bed. "How's she doing?"

"Same. No change. Once she woke up to harass the Doc into lettin' me stay, they've been waking her up every half hour or so. They said they're gonna change it to every hour now so she can get more sleep." Tony stifled a yawn and stretched his aching back which gave way with a pop.

"Good. They should be in to take her up for a CAT scan soon. Stay with her."

"Another one? They did one last night and didn't find anything."

"They just wanna make sure the swelling's gone down, Tony. Let them do their jobs. Believe it or not, they know what they're doing." Gibbs reached out and placed his hand firmly on Tony's shoulder. "Just a precaution, okay?"

"Yeah. Guess so. Probie's rea…"

"It's gonna be a long time before he's 100% but he's hanging in there. Just don't leave her alone, DiNozzo." Gibbs almost anticipated the doubt that Tony harbored with Tim's recovery and had expected the question about whether or not Tim was alright. He chose to interrupt it in an attempt to soothe his Agent quickly.

"I'm not goin' anywhere. Keep me posted on McGee?"

"Sure. Ducky'll be here in a few minutes because he'll wanna see how she's doin' for himself. He won't rest till he does" Gibbs smiled at Tony's chuckle.

"Yeah. Okay. You tell Probie I'm here for him when he wakes up? I don't want him thinkin I don't wanna be there for him."

"I don't think he'll think that."

"Just tell him for me, Boss. Please." Tony's beseeching eyes bore through Gibbs and the older man relented without hesitation.

"Okay. I'll tell him."

Gibbs wasn't surprised to find Ziva still sitting by Tim's bed, holding his hand when he returned 15 minutes after he'd left out. What he _was_ surprised at was that Ducky was waiting for him despite not seeing Abby yet.

"Duck? What is it? I thought you were gonna go see Abby."

"Jethro, I've been looking at Timothy's chart and the young man faces a long recovery before he will ready for Field Agent status. You will speak to Vance about this, won't you? Timothy will need to receive paid leave and he will not ask for it for himself." Ducky looked at Gibbs with concern etched into his face.

"Yeah, Duck, I know. Relax. He'll have the mandatory amount of time for sick pay and I'll take care of anything that runs over that. You goin' to check on Abby before you head into work?"

"Yes. Timothy seems to be holding steady, which in itself is good news. I shall go and see how Abigail is doing now." Ducky turned towards Ziva. "Ziva, would you like to come with me?"

"I will come see her in a minute, Ducky."

"Alright, my dear. I shall see you in a short while."

Ducky left the room and Gibbs watched Ziva fight to rein in her emotions as she sat with Tim. Moving over to her; he placed both hands on her shoulders and kneaded them gently to release some of the tension there. It was something he wouldn't ordinarily do, but he knew that she needed something to ground her and there was no point in her walking around aching all day because she was wound tighter than a spring.

"Ziva?" he prodded her gently to let what she was feeling out. He watched with fondness as Ziva gently laid Tim's hand back down on the bed and stood up so she could face him.

"Yes, Gibbs?"

"Ziva. Don't hide behind that wall of yours. Talk to me" He watched as Ziva turned and walked away to start pacing at the end of the bed. _Oh yeah, something was definitely wrong and it wasn't just what had happened to her team mates_…_to her friends._

"I do not know if I can help with Abby, Gibbs. I fear I am still far too angry with her, despite the fact that she was also seriously hurt"

"Ziva, you can't think like that right now. They both need you and those feelings are going to cause problems in the long run." Gibbs understood where she was coming from but knew that it was that kind of deep rooted resentment that could tear them all apart.

"I can not help it. Do you think I want to feel this way? McGee has suffered too much as a result of this and now we need to be strong for _him_, yes?"

"Yeah, we do. But whatever happened, Abby is sorry for it. We've gotta give her that."

"I know, but…"

"Ze…Plea…Please don't." Tim's weak voice startled them both from their discussion and Gibbs noticed that he had moved the oxygen mask down so that it now hung loose around his neck. Springing into action, he quickly moved over to his ailing agent and placed the oxygen mask back over the young man's face.

"Hey, Tim." He watched as Tim moved slightly and caught the wince as it jolted his chest. "Easy, you need to keep that on, alright. You've been through the wringer and it's gonna hurt so don't move around too much. Doctor's orders."

"Boss….Ab..Abb's?" Tim's voice sounded dry and weak through the mask and Gibbs glanced over at the cup of ice chips that one of the nurses had bought in whilst he'd been out.

"She's alright. Gonna have one hell of a headache and will probably be here for a few days but she's okay." Gibbs reached over and grabbed the cup of ice chips off the nightstand. "You want some ice? It'll help."

Tim nodded and sighed with contentment when Gibbs pushed the mask aside and dropped an ice chip in his mouth. He felt grateful as the cold moisture soothed his dry mouth and throat. "Thanks."

"How're you feeling?"

"Okay." Tim drew his gaze away from his boss and locked onto Ziva. "Please, Zee…..Don't…you need …forgive her. Please." As he struggled to get the words out, Gibbs frowned at the serious shortness of pained breaths that were hampering him; he leaned forward and laid a restraining hand on his arm.

"McGee. Relax. Stop wearing yourself out like this."

"You can ask me to do that after everything you have gone through because of her refusal to cooperate? If it means that much to you, I have no choice but to try, for you." Ziva offered quietly as she looked him straight in the eye, worry in her eyes for the lengths he was obviously willing to go for Abby.

"Not…me..for…you.. Please." Tim pleaded again before exhaustion won out and pulled him back under leaving Ziva standing there to battle with the internal struggle of what Tim was asking of her.

"If he can forgive her, the rest of us don't have the right to hold a grudge." Gibbs quietly reasoned with her as he stepped away from the bed with her and edged her toward the door.

"That is the problem. He _always_ forgives her, Gibbs. She is just going to hurt him again, like she always does!" Ziva said with a vehemence that made her boss flinch.

"He obviously needs this from you or he wouldn't have asked you to do it."

"And when she does hurt him again?" Ziva demanded angrily, forgetting to keep her voice down.

"Unfortunately, Ziva, that's not our call. All we can do is be there for them in a better way than we have been before. It's between the two of them. But, somehow, I doubt things will be the same between them after all this." Gibbs attempted to reason with her.

"Very well." Ziva finally gave in. "But, know this, Gibbs, you may not recall how difficult it was for him to risk giving her yet another chance with his heart, but I do! If you think I will stand by and watch her hurt him again, for any reason, you are wrong, Gibbs! And I am not afraid to tell her so!" Yanking the door open, Ziva headed out to clear her head and let her anger cool before going to talk to Abby.

Gibbs could only agree with her assessment as he thought back to the deeply personal revelations and conversations that Tim had shared both with Ducky and himself, as he'd let it all out and worked through his problems before giving Abby this chance. Seeing what she'd done with Tim's fragile heart made the surrogate father's heart break, for both of them. He sincerely hoped these two could fix what had been broken, but knew from experience just how fragile trust was and knew it would not be a quick fix, by any means.

Turning back toward the bed, he was brought up short at the sight of his agent watching him, eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Thought you were sleeping." Gibbs finally said quietly as he sat back down at Tim's bedside.

"Heard... she... said." Tim managed to rasp out as he tried to rein his emotions in.

"Yeah? You're in no condition to do a whole lotta talking about this right now. Why don't you go back to sleep instead of worryin' about this? You and Abby can sort through this later, when you're feelin' better." The boss's suggestion held a hint of authority to let Tim know it was a gentle order.

"Can't sleep."

"Okay. You look like you wanna talk, Tim, but I'm not sure whether you're gonna be up for it."

"Need….to."

"What, talk?" Gibbs frowned at how much it took out of his agent to just utter those two words but knew that Tim's mind wouldn't rest until he'd gotten things off his chest.

Tim nodded his head gently.

"You've obviously got Abby on your mind."

"She okay...eally?"

"Yeah, McGee, she is. Stop worryin' about that."

Tim nodded silently as a little of the fear left his eyes. "Boss…. Rule 12….you... right."

Gibbs felt his heart twist for his bruised and battered agent. It was strange hearing him try to communicate in such short bursts of words, but knowing it was the best Tim could do, he didn't mind it. He did mind the pain that he could hear loud and clear in Tim's admission though and found himself desperately wanting to take that away.

"No, Tim. This was not why Rule 12 was set down. I think you know that. If you choose to give Abby another chance then I'll still support you."

Tim's shock was clear in those dulled, sea green eyes.

"Let's face it, It's not like this is gonna happen again, McGee."

"Hope not." Tim finally said so quietly Gibbs almost missed it.

"If you don't want this relationship with her anymore, Tim you don't have to put yourself through what's on your mind? Whether or not you wanna give Abby another chance?"

Tim nodded. "Already thinking….'bout it before…this."

"And?"

"Hurts too much." Tim's face crumpled at the admission leaving Gibbs worrying about the abject misery he saw there.

"What does?"

"She didn't….put…me…first….for…him."

"Yeah, I could see where it would hurt. Seems to me you passed the 'Once bitten, twice shy' quite a ways back. "

"I... love her. Want her…my …life…future…"

"Yeah? " Gibbs paused slightly before carrying on "This will still get in the way, Tim and you're gonna need to be strong enough to weather the storms that it will bring. People don't change overnight."

"I.. l love her. I want … work."

"But?"

"Too scared, now. Not sure… I trust her…judgment…can't…need to….put me…first." Tim's continued determination to get the words out had taken a lot out him, as his face was now beginning to show lies of pain and exhaustion

"Yeah, you do and your trust is something she's going to have to earn back. If you decide you really want her, Let her try. Give her another chance. But, only if it's what you want. Don't do it for her. You have to do it for yourself. Now, settle that brain of yours down before you over do it. I'm gonna go let your nurse know they need to turn that morphine pump up a notch. I'll be right back, all right."

Tim nodded silently as he tried to process everything they'd just talked about. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, go on and get some sleep. And quit worryin'!"

"Okay, Boss."

Gibbs could only smile as he watched his agent slip into slumber, finally looking at peace for the first time since this nightmare had begun.


	34. Chapter 34

Tony's vigil over Abby was interrupted by Ducky's arrival just as Gibbs had warned it would be. The M.E. smiled encouragingly at Tony before moving quietly over to the end of the bed and reading Abby's medical chart; going over it with such a careful scrutiny, that he lost himself momentarily. Finally, after a few minutes, Ducky replaced the chart and looked over his young friend for himself. Since she was sleeping comfortably, he wasn't about to wake her and gently leaned in to check her head with no jostling what so ever. Once he was satisfied that she was indeed okay, he turned to Tony and held out his hand, gesturing towards the door. Tony nodded and stood up stiffly before stretching out the stiff back muscles that came from sitting for far too long in the same position.

As Ducky prepared to usher Tony outside for a quick chat, they both caught sight of Ziva looking through the window in the door. It struck them as strange but it was obvious that she couldn't quite bring herself to enter the room and instead, had chosen to play the silent witness to the room. Both of the men quickly joined her in the hallway and managed to thwart her attempts at getting away cleanly. As the door closed behind Tony and Ducky, they finally spoke freely.

"Mornin' Ziva." Tony greeted her cheerily. He was in a good mood since both of his surrogate siblings were alive and were healing well, even if Tim had a painful road ahead of him before his recovery would be complete.. Tony did wonder how his Probie would fare emotionally with everything that had happened.

"Good morning, Tony. How is Abby?" Ziva's greeting brought his thoughts to a standstill. Before he could offer her an answer, the M.E. answered for him.

"She's sleeping comfortably, Ziva. We should let her do so as long as she's able." Ducky explained. "Her prognosis is good. Barring any unforeseen complications, they will most likely release her tomorrow. We'll know more after her CAT scan this morning."

"Since she is asleep, I will not disturb her. I need to go on into work. Ducky, do you need a ride?" Ziva asked as relief flowed through her that she would not have to talk to Abby right now. _Surely McGee would understand no one waking her up right now._

"No, thank you my dear. However, I will be delighted to give you one." Ducky chuckled. He knew exactly how Ziva drove and wasn't prepared to experience a rough ride into work.

Ziva smiled even as Tony laughed outright. "Thank you, Doctor. I would be happy to ride in with you."

"Let's give Anthony a chance to stretch his legs before we take our leave, shall we? I'm sure he is in need of a least a short break." Ducky suggested and patted Tony's shoulder gently.

Ziva looked slightly upset at the idea of staying in Abby's room and Tony saw the darkened look that flitted across her face. He took pity on her and dragged her along with him, leaving Ducky to keep a sleeping Abby company.

As they walked down the hall towards the restrooms, Tony slowed down before demanding the answers to the questions that had started dominating his mind.

"Spill it, Ziva. What's going on with you?"

"Tony, I do not know what…"

"Yeah, you do. You can't get outta here fast enough! What the hell's up with that? All of a sudden you don't wanna be here for your wounded friends who consider you a part of their family?" Tony found it difficult keeping the distasteful anger out of his voice.

"Tony, that is not it."

"Okay. Then what is _it_?" The Senior Agent demanded.

"_It _is Abby. It is like I tried to explain to Gibbs. I cannot help Abby right now."

"Ziva, she's gonna need you. You're her big sister and she's gonna need you more than the rest of us."

"And what about McGee, Tony? What about what he is going to need?" Ziva stopped dead in her tracks and turned to grasp him by the sleeve so he would stop as well. It seemed to work and Tony turned to face her head on with a confused look on his face

"Ziva. None of us are gonna leave Probie in the lurch. You can bank on that! That's why we need you to help us with Abby. "

"Tony. I am too angry with her right now. She could have stopped this before it got so far out of control; before McGee got hurt as badly as he did. Look at the severity of what he has to recover from now!"

"Zee. I get it. You said you told Gibbs this? What did he say? Let me guess; he told you it wasn't gonna help either of the patients to think like that, didn't he?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, Tony, that is what he said. But it is what McGee said that carries the most weight." Ziva held his firm gaze stubbornly.

"Wait a minute, McGee heard you two talking about it? How'd he take it?"

"He told me I need to forgive her." Ziva said with a heavy sigh.

"Yeah? That sounds like Probie. What' you tell him?"

"That I would do so, for his sake."

"Oh no, Ziva. Let me guess Probie told you that you had to do it for your own sake, didn't he?" Tony shook his head knowing damn well what Tim would have said. For all their brotherly bickering and banter, it was a quality that he'd always respected in Tim.

"Yes."

"Typical. But he's right. So, now what?"

"Now, I will talk to Abby when I can. But, it will be as I have already warned Gibbs. I will not allow her to hurt McGee again. I am not afraid to tell her so either."

"Look, Ziva. I'm with you on this, but the last thing McGee's gonna need or want is to even think that we're turning on each other."

"I agree. I will do my best to make peace with Abby. But I will not allow her to hurt him again. If that makes him angry, I will accept that consequence." Ziva vowed.

"Okay. Guess I can't fault you for that. Don't worry, I'm sure McGee will thank you for being willing to stand up for him."

Tony entered Tim's room a good fifteen minutes later and took over for Gibbs. Since Tim was sleeping peacefully, the change was made with silent communication and in very short order. As Tony settled into the chair Gibbs had just vacated, his thoughts of the conversation he'd just had with Ziva swirled through his mind.

"Damn, Probie. She's a tough nut to crack but thanks for trying anyway." Tony whispered gently enough so as not to wake Tim. "I have no idea how you're gonna do this, but I know you have a plan."

Gibbs headed to Abby's room; his conversation with Tim sill resounding in his head. As he entered the room, he was relieved to find that Abby had already been taken for her CAT scan and would be gone for another fifteen minutes. He decided to take advantage of the break and accompanied Ducky back to the Nurse's station where Ziva was sitting in the hallway, waiting patiently for the M.E.

With little conversation, Ducky and Ziva departed, leaving Gibbs standing in the same spot waiting nervously to to hear Abby's prognosis. It was tough and he had to bite down his impatience, so to keep busy, he walked down the corridor to take the break that he needed. When he got back to her room, it was to find she'd already been brought back in and was sleeping again. He caught the Doctor's eye and watched as the man headed out of the room, leaving him with no option but to follow.

"Hey, Doc." Gibbs watched as the doctor stopped and turned around. "How's she doin'?"

"Everything looks good. She should be good to go home tomorrow. But, I would like her to stay with someone who will keep an eye on her for at least the first 48 hours. "

"Not a problem. And my agent?"

"Nothing's changed since the last time we talked, Agent Gibbs. The rest he's gotten since then certainly helps. But, I would prefer he not try to carry on any conversations of any length right now. You said don't want him to think he's alone and I understand that. But, I will bar all visitors if they don't stop trying to make him talk."

"Doc, you don't know McGee. If he's got something on his mind, it drives him crazy if he can't spill it."

"If he doesn't have anyone to spill it to, he can't very well have that conversation, now can he? Lay down the law with him or I will pull all visitors from him for the next 48 hours! At the end of the day, it's for his own good. He's still struggling so if we limit him to give his lungs a rest then it's better for him in the longrun."

"Okay. Doc. I'll see what I can do. Listen, I need you to do me a favor."

Ten minutes later, Gibbs headed into Abby's room, having succeeded in talking the Doctor into what he wanted accomplished. Now, he needed to have a heart to heart with Abby and was more than happy when he saw her awake and working her way through her breakfast with obvious distaste.

"Hey Gibbs." She greeted somberly. It was as if she knew he'd come to read her the riot act for how bad things had gone wrong.

"Hey, Abbs. How you feelin'?"

"Okay. My head kinda hurts but they said I couldn't have anything for it until after I eat, so I'm forcing myself to eat this stuff. Ugh! "

Gibbs smiled. Having to eat hospital food wasn't high on his list of good things in life either. As he moved closer to her, he bent down and kissed her on the cheek before backing up to the chair beside her bed. He made sure his eyes were on the door, unwilling to be taken by surprise while he talked to her.

"Gibbs, I'm sorry." Abby blurted out mistaking his silence for something completely different to what it was.

"For?"

"Everything! All of this Timmy getting hurt! Ducky getting hurt!" Abby practically sobbed.

"Abby. Ducky's fine. We do need to talk about McGee though."

"What about him? Is he okay?"

"He will be, but it will be a long painful recovery according to his doctor and Ducky. But, right now, his main worry is you."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You. He insisted on talking about it when he woke up a while ago. Even after everything you've put him through, he's not willing to let you go." Gibbs softened his gaze and sat forward resting his elbows on his knees. He watched as different emotions flickered over her face and waited.

"Really? OH! Wow." Abby couldn't believe what she was hearing and felt the spark of hope reignite within her.

"I gotta tell ya, Tony and Ziva, well…"

I'm guessing neither of them wanna ever talk to me again." Abby groused meekly.

"Abbs, you know better than that."

"Yeah. I guess I do. "

"I warned you who you'd have to watch out for if you hurt McGee again, Abbs." Abby settled back and though back to the conversation that she had had with him.

_"You hurt him again, and it won't only be me you have to deal with; you'll have his team to contend with and it'll be quicker than you can think twice about things."_

_"Tony and Ziva?"_

_"They care more about him than you think, Abbs."_

"Yeah. You did. But, I didn't do anything since you and I talked. In fact, I haven't spoken to him since, except that little time in his hospital room right before Alex showed up!"

"I know. But, looks like your biggest concern right now is Ziva. She's seriously pissed."

"I don't doubt it." Abby kept her eyes locked on her hands in front of her as she spoke and Gibbs could feel the sadness that rolled off of her. "I can't fix this can I?"

"What? You giving up?"

"No! It's not like that. It's just….."

"Just what? You messed up, Abbs. Move on and try to mend those fences."

"How?" Abby looked as though her heart had just been ripped out through her throat and she couldn't help the tears that started to fall. Gibbs stayed where he was knowing that holding her right now would be counter productive to what he wanted to achieve.

"How many times have I gotta tell you this? It's up to you and you'll know what to do when the time comes."

"But…"

"No buts, Abbs." Gibbs looked up and saw an orderly hovering in the doorway "You ready?"

The orderly nodded and moved into the room with a wheelchair in tow. "Yes, Sir. Miss Scuito, your chariot awaits."

Abby looked between the two men in her room and accepted Gibbs help as she stepped into the wheelchair.

"Gibbs, where are we going?"

"You're moving out, Abbs." He followed them out of the room with a smirk on his face. "We've got you a new room for the night but there are some orders that you have to follow."

They stopped outside Tim's room and Gibbs knelt down in front of her.

"Abbs, I'm doin' this because he'll spend all of his energy worrying about you otherwise. And you both need each other _but_ if you hurt him again, then I will have you up on reprimand so fast that your feet won't touch the floor. Got it?"

"Ye…Yes, Boss." Abby swallowed and had the good grace to look abashed at the order.

"Right. You're gonna be released tomorrow, but for tonight you're gonna stay with McGee. There's a bed set up already for you. He's not allowed to talk; he can listen, but the doc's want him to stay silent for a couple of days to let his lungs heal. You think you can help with that?"

"Of course. I promise, I'll try my hardest."

Gibbs nodded and followed the orderly into the room. It wasn't long before Abby was settled and as she glanced over, she noticed two green eyes gazing at her through a drug induced haze.

"Ab..Abbs?"

"Hey! McGee. The doc said no more talking for you for the next 48 hours, so zip it, all right? Let those lungs of yours do some healing." Tim nodded at his boss' quiet and sympathetic order and let his eyes close whilst he drifted back to sleep. "I'm gonna go and talk to Tony. I'll be back soon…and don't disturb his sleep or….."

"Let him talk. Got it." Boss turned back towards the door to leave but was stopped by a small voice behind him. "Gibbs?"

"Yeah, Abbs?"

"Thank you."

"You wanna thank me? Don't screw this up."

"I won't, I promise."

"I'm holding you to it. Look after him."

"You can bank on it!"

"Good. Oh, and Abbs?"

"Gibbs?"

"Figure out how you're gonna fix things with Tony and Ziva. I want my team back whole!"

"Understood."


	35. Chapter 35

Tony walked out of the bathroom in Tim's hospital room and stopped in his tracks at the sight of Abby occupying the bed next to his Probie. It was something he wasn't expecting and her presence seemed to stir a little feeling of unease when it came to Tim's recovery. Obviously, Gibbs had talked the doctor into this arrangement but Tony had trouble seeing anything but trouble with this idea. Still, he had faith in Gibbs and the boss obviously had a plan…. the boss _always_ had a plan. It was his faith and trust in the boss that made Tony decide to just go with the flow and see what came down the pike next.

With a glance towards Tim, Tony noticed that his friend was still peacefully sleeping and seemed reasonably comfortable for the time being. With a relieved sigh, he walked quietly to Abby's bed and moved the chair so it was sitting next to her.

"Hey. What kinda strings you have to pull to get moved in here?" Tony's voice was barely above a whisper but was loud enough for her to hear. He emphasized his question with his trademark smirk as he settled down into the chair.

"Bossman strings." Abby said with a small smile as Gibbs' warning still rang clearly in her head.

"What's going on, Abbs?" Tony's concern was palpable and made Abby shrink more into her pillows.

"Nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing. I asked you a question and you looked like someone had just kicked your favorite puppy."

"Nothing. Please, drop it." Abby shook her head and winced slightly as a sharp pain protested against the movement.

"For cryin' out loud. Abby, talk to me. Come on, because the fact that I know something's wrong and you won't tell me what it is, is pissing me off." Tony felt a spike of guilt as Abby blanched slightly. He didn't mean to sound impatient, but realized his quiet tone probably made it sound more dangerous than he intended. Abby gazed at him for a moment and physically deflated in front of him.

"It's just that, you're all so angry with me. I just don't know who to say what to, to fix any of it." Abby said a little too loudly. She caught movement from Tim's bed out of the corner of her eye and held her breath until she realized that Tim had merely settled deeper into his sleep. Her exhalation drew more concern out of Tony.

"Abby, what the hell's going on?" he asked her as quietly as he could.

"Gibbs forbade me from waking Timmy up or letting him talk for the next 48 hours. Apparently, his doctor said his lungs need to get stronger and talking will make them work too hard. I'm only in here so Timmy won't worry about me while he's trying to get better."

"And that has you holding your breath? Come on Abbs."

"I couldn't help it! He moved and I thought I'd woken him up. Why aren't you mad at me?"

"Oh, I am. Trust me, I am. But, I'm also worried about you."

"Aw, Tony. That's so sweet. Thank you." A small smile ghosted Abby's face.

"Abby, don't push it. I talked to Ziva earlier and I have to tell ya, she's pretty damn pissed."

"So, I heard."

"Lucky for you, Probie's too kindhearted for his own good and has already been on her about forgiving you." Tony watched Abby's reaction to the news carefully and narrowed his eyes as her eyebrows shot up.

"Really?"

"This surprises you?"

"That he'd worry about me while he can barely stay awake? Yeah." She glanced over at Tim and watched as he slept. She frowned slightly as his breath hitched but it soon evened out again as he snored gently.

"Thought you knew him better than anybody? Even **I** know he'd still walk through fire for you!" Tony flapped his hand in Tim's direction to emphasize his point.

"I know, Tony. I know."

"Abby, the morning after he was released from the hospital, you know, the morning you just had to fight with him about Alex's involvement in all this? That morning; he and I talked. We talked about a lot of stuff. You know why?"

"No. You guys never talk."

"Trust me, we do now. We talked because his heart was broken and his spirit was totally crushed; so much so that he couldn't even sleep without being haunted by everything, especially you…_again_. After everything he'd just been through with that woman who'd stolen his heart only to use that to get close enough to him to try to kill him; he still gave you one more chance. It wasn't long before you took what he had to offer, enjoyed it for a day and then threw it back in his face. Abby, you kicked him when he was already down. You have no idea what that did to him."

"Oh, Tony, I didn't mean to…"

"Abby, you never mean to hurt him but somehow you always seem to do it anyway." Tony held both hands out in front of him as if fending off a rebuke "Before you jump all over me about how I treat him. This is different. I mess with his head and irritate him like a big brother's supposed to. You break his heart. That's not supposed to happen, not over and over again."

"You've been cruel to him too, Tony. Don't kid yourself." Abby reminded him.

"Yeah. You're right. There have been times I've stepped over that line and I regret every one of them. But, I still didn't trample on his heart, Abby."

While their tones were quiet, the steady rumble of their voices was enough to rouse the patient. As he lay there listening to their conversation, tears slipped out of the corner of his eyes. Tony had just said everything to Abby that Tim had wanted to, but knew he'd never be able to. He'd told Gibbs the truth and he did want her back. But, he also needed her to know just how badly she'd hurt him this time. As his two best friends continued to quietly talk, Tim managed to slip back to sleep with a newfound respect and gratitude for Tony sharply on his mind.

"Do we understand each other now?" Tony asked as they got to the end of what they'd needed to hash out.

"Perfectly." Abby answered without any bite. "I really am sorry, Tony."

"Well, we both know I'm not the one that needs to hear that. But, I meant what I said. You hurt him again and….. well, you just don't wanna go there."

"I don't want to hurt him again, Tony. I really do love him." Abby's plea didn't necessarily fall on deaf ears, but she knew that she'd disappointed everyone around her and wanted them all to know how much she loved Tim.

"I'm not sure you know what love is, Abby. At least, not the kind that McGee's looking for. But it's not my place to make that decision so I'll leave that up to him. But, don't screw this up." Tony patted her on the knee and got up out of his chair so he could walk over to Tim's bed to check him over and make sure he wasn't having any trouble breathing. Thankfully, he was still sleeping peacefully and the oxygen he was still on was helping with his breathing.

As Abby lay there thinking about what Gibbs and Tony had said and everything that had happened, she realized she was extremely lucky that Tim was so forgiving and thankfully, determined not to let her go. She did have to wonder about that though and let the thoughts mill around in her mind.

_Why was he willing to put up with her?_ _Because he's never taken his heart back from giving it to me in the first place! I have to give him the same in return or let him go. It's only right. It isn't fair to give him anything less than what he's giving me; what he's always given me…. his all._

_Can I do this? Can I give him all of me? That would mean settling down and thinking of a permanent future… forever. _

_What do I think of when I hear the word permanent? Isn't that what we're supposed to power our dreams with? Okay, so think. Permanent to me means: always having this great family around me. Every single one of them because I don't ever want to have to say goodbye to any of them. Saying goodbye to Kate was hard enough. But we're not all always gonna be together like this, even I know that. Tony's gonna be a Team Leader some day and who knows where that's gonna take him. Ziva will hopefully one day, realize just how much she and Tony love each other and do what's best for them. Wait a minute! If I can see that for them, why can't I see it for Timmy and me?_

_Marriage? I know that's what Timmy wants; eventually. Is that the piece of permanent that I want, too? Timmy's been through so much and hurt so much, can he handle the stress of trying to work this out? How do we do that without walking on eggshells after this? I know Timmy wants to have a family, a piece of normal life that doesn't suck the life out of him the way the job sometimes does. It's only fair that I only work through this with him if we have the same goals in mind. He doesn't deserve to be put through the motions if the two of us don't want the same thing at the end._

_Marriage! Spending the rest of my life with Timmy. Wow. I never thought I'd be ready to seriously consider that as my definition of permanent. Ziva's right about one thing, though. Timmy's different now. And our friendship's not as close as it used to be. Guess, we're gonna have to spend a lot more time getting to know each other all over again, before we can even figure out just how much further we want to go with this._

_But, first, I need to let him see and know and most importantly, feel, how sorry I am that he got hurt; that I let my own stubborn need to be right; come before his safety. Tony said I broke Tim's heart. Yeah, I guess I can understand how I did that. I feel so horrible about that. I never wanted to hurt him. I guess I have really gotten used to railroading him into what I wanted. Wow, why is he even interested in me when I've treated him like that? Because he sees my good points, maybe? I hope so. I hope we can fix this. I hope…_

Tony couldn't help but smile as he watched the spinning cogs in Abby's brain come to an obvious screeching halt at the end of a long and winded journey as the peace finally allowed her to fall asleep and Tony couldn't help but smile fondly. She'd been funny to watch, her eyes flickering all over the place as her brain ran through every thought and sent it corralling though its' multi-chambered machine. It had been blatantly obvious that she was doing some serious thinking and he'd gladly left her to it.

Tony had turned the chair so he could see both of his injured friends and sat there lost in thought. He didn't realize how much time had passed and when he glanced at his watch, he noticed that his unofficial half-hourly check had passed. He was surprised to find Tim wide awake and staring at the ceiling, his eyes full of something unrecognizable.

"Probie? You okay?" Tony knew the patient wasn't supposed to talk but was worried about the look on his face and so, he asked him the question quietly so as to not wake Abby up.

Tim nodded as he dragged his eyes down from the ceiling and looked at Tony.

"Thank you" he whispered as loudly as he could without straining himself too much.

"For what, Probie?"

"Talking to Abby."

"You heard?"

Tim nodded and let his deep appreciation and gratitude for it shine in his eyes.

"You're welcome, man. All I ask in return is that you don't let her walk all over you again. You come to me or the bossman first. Deal?"

Tim nodded with a serious look of understanding and agreement on his face.

"Good. Now, go back to sleep before I get shot for keeping you up or letting you talk." Tony quipped before it hit him what he'd just said. As the realization hit him, a look of abject horror at his own thoughtlessness crossed his eyes.

"Tony. Don't." Tim whispered. "It's okay."

"Yeah?" Tony asked doubtfully. "You wouldn't just be sayin' that to make me feel better, would ya?"

"No. It's okay. Really." Tim's whisper settled Tony's sense of unease about putting his foot in it and he sighed deeply.

"Whew. Thanks, man. I gotta tell ya, I was worried there." Tony flashed his friend his trademark grin.

"No. Thank you." Tim whispered as his eyes closed again and his breathing evened out. His body visibly relaxed into sleep once again, leaving Tony standing there with a deep sense of relief.

Tony turned from Tim's bed to find the nurse standing in the doorway glaring at him. Luckily, years of getting used to Gibbs' glare, had more than prepared him for this rank amateur. Smiling cheekily at her, he sauntered over to her and whispered.

"A man's gotta have some way of getting things off his chest. I promise, all he did was whisper and we kept it short."

"The doctor won't like it, regardless." she warned with a sharp tone and no understanding what so ever.

"Well, then we don't have to tell him, do we?" Tony reasoned out in the hope that it would melt the iron maiden's heart.

The glare intensified and was joined with a smarminess that was not becoming of a woman.

"Look. Do you really wanna take away the man's right to speak in some way if he's really got something to say? You don't know this guy like we do. If something's bothering, him, he needs to get it out. We want him to get better just as much as you do… more actually so we're not gonna do anything to jeopardize that."

"Tony?" Abby's quiet voice barely reached them from the bed.

"Abbs? You okay?" Tony turned to her and asked her in concern.

"I need to ask her something." Abby kept going.

The nurse settled her displeasure at Tony's antics as his explanation made sense and she now needed to see what her other patient needed.

"Yes, Ms. Scuito?"

"It's Abby. Please, I need to know if I can go sit with Tim. I promise to be gentle but I want him to know I care about him and that I 'm here for him."

"Abby…" The nurses wary warning didn't stop Abby's desperate need to sit with Tim. In her mind, it was the quickest and best way to start being there for him in the way that mattered.

"You don't understand. I caused this mess and I have to make it right. Please." Abby quietly begged. "Let me 'be' with him"

"All right. But, this is not an excuse to have him do any extended conversations, whispered or otherwise!" she warned to both of them.

Ziva came in just as the nurse was leaving and the two of the nearly collided in the door, forestalling Abby's plan. Knowing this needed to be done before she set her plan in motion, Abby sent Tony on a break with a silent look she'd learned from Gibbs. Ziva smiled thinly at Tony as their eyes met when they changed places. Once Tony was gone, Ziva sat down at Abby's bedside and took a minute to look her over.

"Abby. How are you?"

"I'm good. Ziva. I think I'm just here under observation until tomorrow when they're gonna let me outta here."

"That is good. Any more headaches?"

"Not enough to need anything for. I'm sorry, Ziva. I know that's why you're here, to jump on my case for everything that's happened. I am sorry."

"Abby, it is not my forgiveness that you need to be concerned about."

"That's just it, Ziva. It is. You and I are friends just as much as you and Tim are friends. I know you're pissed at me for what's happened to him. What friend wouldn't be?" Abby's voice was getting more and more frantic as she tried to explain everything to Ziva.

"Abby. Calm yourself. McGee must rest. Do not wake him. Yes, I am very angry with you. Not as much for what happened as for the simple fact that it did not have to happen. Do you remember our talk? The day we had lunch together to talk about you and McGee?"

"Yeah. Of course I remember it."

"Do you remember what you said?"

"Ziva, we said lots of things."

_"I believe that you have missed something very important about McGee. You have failed to realize that he has changed. He is different from the McGee of several years ago. In fact, he is quite different now than he was even a few months ago. His heart has been broken several times. One does not always recover quickly from something like that. As you have already pointed out, it is quite obvious he is definitely not bouncing back this time."_

_"I know, Ziva. But, I also know he has always loved me. I love him. He's McGee. I have to help him."_

_"Are you certain he wants your help? And you are sure that that the love he has carried for you is enough? I am not so sure. If it were, Abby, would he not have come to you for this help already?" _

_"He needs my help whether he knows it or not. Besides, the fact that he still loves me has to mean something!" _

_"Abby, I will be here for you and listen when you need to talk. But, I will not get involved with this. I respect McGee too much to interfere in his personal life." _

"That is correct, Abby. But, I feel I must warn you. There is one thing that has changed since you and I had that conversation." Ziva told her solemnly.

"What's changed?"

"I will no longer stay out of this if I see that McGee is being hurt again. I will not let that happen again."

"Good. I'm glad he'll have you and Tony looking after him. I know I don't always see what I'm doing as wrong, Ziva and I need to work on that, but I don't want it to be at Tim's expense anymore."

"Good. Then we understand each other."

"Ziva, can you forgive me? As Tim's friend?"

"Yes. As Tim's friend and because he has asked me to do so, I can forgive you. As your friend, I am very disappointed in you, but I still care about you and what happens to you."

"Thanks, Ziva!" Abby said as she threw her arms around her friend and let the tears of relief finally fall.

When Tony came back in the room thirty minutes later, it was to find their Lab Rat lying on the bed with Tim. One hand was holding his and her other arm was nestled around and under his neck, an obvious sign that Tim was now her biggest concern. She was there both for him and with him. Tony just hoped Tim wouldn't wake up in a panic with the new situation.

As the two patients slept, Tony and Ziva retreated to the hallway to talk.

"Well?" Tony asked without wasting any time.

"We have talked and we have mended our fences."

"Good. Anything happening at work?

"They have brought in Abby's friend. Vance and Gibbs have both been questioning her. She will not be able to withstand the pressure for very much longer and will hopefully break soon. Gibbs wants you to join him. I will stay with Abby and McGee."

"Okay. Listen, Ziva. I know you're still pretty upset about all of this, but, don't say anything to them about the case, all right? And try not to say anything else about their relationship; I think we've pretty much covered what they needed to hear and the rest is up to them."

"I agree on all counts, Tony. Go on, Gibbs will already be getting angry that you have not yet headed in."

"Okay, I'm gone. You call us if there's a problem."

"Relax, Tony. We will be fine."

As Tony headed out, Ziva returned to the room and began her shift of keeping their teammates company. While Abby and Tim slept, Ziva unpacked the laptop and began working on her written report for the case.

It was coming up to dinner time and Abby was awake and waiting for Tim to wake up. Ziva watched with a small smile on her face, as Tim woke up and quickly realized he wasn't alone in his bed. It didn't take long for the initial shock to wear off, something that was helped by Abby's softly spoken words to sooth his troubled mind enough for him to quickly get his breathing back under control. It wasn't long before Tim actually felt himself melt into her support and embrace and he was pleased that the usual bone crushing Abby-hug was gone and in its' place was a gentle Abby who was capable of the most tender of ministrations anyone could ever need.

For the first time since he'd woke up after Alex's brutal attack on them, Tim felt a glimmer of hope that things would turn out all right. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in Gibbs, Ducky or Tony; but rather, that the one part of his life that he needed to have hope in the most; they couldn't help him with.

Tim knew that he and Abby had a lot to work out and to work through. But, he also knew it was something he not only _needed_ to do; but _wanted _to, as well. Looking over at Ziva, sitting watch over him, he realized, just by the look in her eyes, that she'd come around and was now equally concerned about both of them. Obviously, she and Abby had talked and for that he was extremely grateful.

"Thank you." He whispered in her direction.

"You are very welcome. But you are not allowed to talk. So, unless you can promise to listen without speaking, Abby will not be allowed to talk to you yet." Ziva warned with a twinkle in her eye. She knew the probability of that was zero but felt it was her job to remind him of the fact.

Tim nodded his understanding and flashed her a wide grin. There was no way he and Abby weren't gonna talk but, he would be very careful and very quiet. He had to admit, the difference in the level of pain was huge and he was grateful that his doctor had thought to lay down this restriction so that his tortured chest and lungs had a chance to finally begin to heal. Tim could actually breathe without feeling like his chest was on fire now.

"All right. I will give the two of you time alone. But, I will be right outside that door!" Ziva warned as she picked up her lap top and its' bag, and went out to the hall and took a seat right outside the door.

Abby and Tim looked at each other with soft grins playing on their faces. Getting comfortable was tricky even with Tim's breathing difficulties being less than they'd been before his talking restrictions. Raising the bed up enough that Tim was sitting completely up, she was pleased to see that it helped alleviate some of the pressure. After much shifting and checking, Abby wound up sitting indian style on top of the blanket that covered Tim and as she got comfortable in the space between his stretched out legs, she took his hands in hers and looked directly into the honest, open eyes that she'd fallen completely in love with.

"I am so sorry, Tim."

Tim blinked. It never had taken much of her soul bearing to bring him to tears and this time was no exception.

"I never meant to hurt you, in any way."

Tim knew that but it didn't stop it hurting. He did the only thing he could and nodded at her.

"You deserve so much more than what I've given you. So much better. I just hope I can be enough for you now."

Tim was motionless. He agreed but he didn't want to chase her off. He needed her to want this enough to fight for it but he couldn't make that decision for her. He frowned at the look on her face and squeezed her hand gently.

"I need to let you…"

Tim's heart constricted. _Was she letting him go?_

"I need to let you see that I can do better. That I will do better and I know this isn't some trial and error lab test we're talking about here. This is our life; your heart; one that's already been through way more hurt and pain than it ever should have been. But, Timmy, I've thought about this a lot and I can finally see what you have all along. Our futures! I can see them as being one and the same; together. And seeing it doesn't scare me like it used to, if anything, It actually makes me feel safe, secure, loved and needed and…"

Tim put a finger to her lips in a silent request for her to stop talking. Leaning over he kissed her chastely on the lips. It was only brief and even the cannula that provided him with the much needed oxygen wasn't enough to help his lungs during the kiss. He pulled away and coughed slightly.

"Abby." He whispered. "This isn't just about what you see for your future."

"I know." She answered quietly. "It's about us in the here and now. But, I needed to be able to see the future to know how to take care of the now."

Tim nodded and waited for her to continue.

"I needed to know if we wanted the same things or if I needed to let you go so you could find your idea of your future with someone who shares your vision."

"And you share it now?" Tim asked in his whisper.

"Yes, I do. I want the same things you do. Maybe not the same exact things; like probably not the same house or the same car; but the same life, Timmy!"

Tim nodded because he didn't want to interrupt the flow of wherever this was going.

"But, I know we need to fix the here and now before we can even think about taking steps towards that future."

He nodded again rested his head back on the pillow with relief.

"So, will you give me that chance?"

Tim's smile was reserved but told Abby that no matter what, he was willing to try again.


	36. Chapter 36

_A/N: Please forgive the delay in updating. We humbly apologise. _

_I would like to take this opportunity to thank Shelbylou - this chapter is her brainchild and a great one at that, Thank you, Shelbylou!_

_and now, without further ado:_

* * *

Gibbs walked into the interrogation room with his coffee and sat down in the free chair that was reserved for the agents interviewing suspects. It was the one that had its back to the two way mirror, the very two way mirror that currently hid Tony and Ziva from Dr. Lisa Lasalle's view. He put his coffee down right next to the file that he had carried in.

"Agent Gibbs, I presume. You cannot keep here like this! I have a return flight to New Orleans that I simply must be on. If you don't let me go, then you will leave me with no choice but to lodge a complaint with your superiors." Dr. Lasalle crossed her arms and jutted out her chin in defiance of being bought back to NCIS for interrogation.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. Your flight's been cancelled." Gibbs kept his eyes on her at all times knowing that it would make her uncomfortable. He sat there glaring for a couple more minutes before opening the file and pulling out a sheet of paper. "Says here, you're Alex Green's Doctor."

"It does, does it? Well then I guess you really are a seasoned investigator because it wouldn't take much to find that out, would it?"

"Don't bait me, Doc. You'll lose." Gibbs smiled dangerously at her and, despite her cool, clipped tone, he could see the tell tale body language that told him she was even more uncomfortable. He glanced down at her hands and noticed the way that they were clasped in front of her; her thumb twitching against the base of the index finger that it rested against. "Nervous?"

"Should I be?"

"Yeah. You should." Gibbs sat back in his chair and scrutinized the woman sitting in front of him. By all accounts, she looked perfectly normal but there was something about her; something that he just couldn't put his finger on that made him feel as though she was wound on a tight string that would snap at any moment.

"Huh! Damn NCIS and damn this interrogation! You have nothing on me!" She folded her arms and Gibbs watched as she twitched rhythmically.

"That why you're so nervous? The way you're vibrating I'm guessing your foot is twitching, too."

Lisa stilled and tried to glare back at the man sitting in front of her. She glanced away when she realised that it was fruitless.

"What do you want? Agent Balboa interviewed me already and I just want to go home."

"I want you to tell me what happened. I know you were helping Green and I want to know why."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Gibbs pulled another report out of the file and slipped it over the table so that it rested in front of the doctor.

"He held you hostage and you didn't press charges."

"He's disturbed and needed help. I'm his doctor and wanted to help." She read the report and Gibbs noticed the way in which she paled before her shoulders slumped slightly. "You think you've got this all worked out don't you?"

"Yep. Tell you what I think. Stockholm Syndrome. He held you captive and you fell in love with him. What I don't understand is why you would hurt your friend." Gibbs kept his voice neutral as he spoke, hoping that it would have the desired effect. "Abby _was _your friend, right?"

"She **is **my friend. I don't kn..."

"Then why hurt her by helping Green with this." He pointed at the thick case file in front of him. "He damn near killed my Agent!"

"I didn...he wouldn't do it. I mean, I didn't know he would hurt any...I didn't know." Gibbs could see that she was finally starting to come undone before him.

"Yeah. You did. You knew what he was doing but your obsession with him took over. Why?"

"Because." She whispered and hung her head low so that he was looking at the top of the table.

"Because? That's it. Just because. Jesus, you have no idea of the damage that you've caused have ya." Gibbs picked up his coffee and sipped at it as he watched Lisa come apart, slowly, piece by piece. He was surprised by how easy it was.

"DAMAGE? I'VE CAUSED DAMAGE?" Lisa stood up and started to pace and Gibbs could almost see the frayed threads snapping, one by one. "_She's_ damaged us! She damaged me and Alex because he could never get over her. He couldn't love me the way I love him...BECAUSE OF HER!" She screamed.

"Who?"

"Who do you think, Agent Gibbs? Scuito! Alex has always been in love with her and always will be! When she rang me and told me about her up and coming first date with Agent McGee, I was happy for her. I was happy that maybe, just maybe this would make Alex move on and love me the way I loved him." Lisa sat back down and covered her face with her hands. "He didn't though. He just...It made him angry."

"And if he was angry, you got the brunt of it." Gibbs said with a knowing nod.

"No. He didn't hurt me. He wouldn't."

"So why help him?"

"Because, I thought he would get it out of his system and then forget about her. I need him. You don't understand."

"Oh, I think I do." Gibbs said sarcastically before leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees. "What happened? How'd he get out?"

"That was easy. I faked the transfer papers and made out he was being moved to a hospital in DC. As far as they're concerned, he's tucked up safely in a hospital here."

"Makes sense. You'd have access and the power to do that. So, you bought him here?" Gibbs didn't move and sat there staring at her until she answered. After a long pause, she nodded her head.

"Yeah. We had just gotten into the hotel when I spoke to Abby again. I told her he'd escaped."

"Why?"

"To scare her. I wanted her to hurt." Her quiet confession threw the Senior agent slightly; not that he'd ever show her that. "I wanted her to feel the fear I feel everyday about losing him."

"So you helped him when he was in DC?"

"No. That was all him. As long as he came back to me, I didn't care what he did and when I found out...I...When I found out part of me was pleased."

Gibbs nodded at her before cocking his head to the side. "What happened in the hospital? He managed to find my house, drug two agents and my M.E. before holding my Agent at gunpoint. How?"

"I wrote the script for a strong tranquilizer that works immediately. I didn't know what he wanted it for and thought it was for personal usage. I've used it before on him and went to the pharmacy to collect it for him. It needs to be injected and I guess he stole the prefilled syringes."

"You guess?" Gibbs growled at her with narrow eyes.

"I haven't checked. I didn't use them on the agents outside the do..." Her eyes went wide when she realised what she had said.

"So it _was_ you. You got past my agents guarding Green by drugging them."

"Yes. It was easy. All I had to do, was wear my lab coat and no one flinched. I had the aerosol in my pocket and sprayed it in their faces." She hung her head once again and started to sob.

"What did you do after that? When they were unconscious?"

"I helped him take the IV out. Unplugged the wires and left."

"That's it?"

"That's it. Nothing more. He kissed me, and then I left. I don't know what happened beyond that point exactly and can only go off what Agent Balboa told me. I thought I could stop him loving Abby once and for all." She added the last bit as an afterthought and started to sob again.

"Well, you were wrong. He didn't and damn well nearly killed two of my people. Between you, you have drugged 5, and put 2 in Bethesda. Don't expect to be practicing for a while and you sure as hell won't be seeing Green."

At his last comment, Lisa's moist eyes shot up and greeted him.

"What. No! You can't keep us apart. It'll kill me."

"You don't have a damn choice. He's already been transferred to a high security mental hospital and you're gonna be detained and arrested for helping him. You are as guilty as he is but at least he's got mental illness to fall back on. You? There's nothing wrong with you. You screwed over your best friend and helped someone wage war on the person that was making her happy. You're gonna be sentenced and there's no insanity plea to fall back on." Gibbs collected together the papers, picked up the file and his coffee and let her sitting there in stunned silence. Between the two interviews, they had enough evidence on her to make sure she wouldn't cause any more problems for a long time.

Tim woke up slowly feeing floaty and knew he was on the good drugs. He raised his left hand to his face and cringed when he felt the pinch of tape on the back of his hand that served as a reminder of the IV that was still attached and pumping antibiotics and fluids steadily into his system. With a raspy sigh, he switched hands and pulled the nasal canula off his face so that it hung loosely around his neck.

"Timothy! Honestly, young man. You must leave that where it is." He turned his head towards the familiar British lilt that held a whisper of a Scottish accent and smiled.

"Ducky."

"Shh. You are not supposed to be speaking right now. You need to give your lungs a chance to heal and talking won't help." The M.E. reached over and replaced the canula that was supplying Tim with the much needed oxygen that his body craved.

"M'sorry...Alex?"

"He's being transferred to a secure psychiatric facility as we speak. His injuries mean he had the pleasure of an armed medivac to the hospital which, by the way, is much like a prison for the mentally unstable."

"oh...Abby, Ducky...She..alright." Ducky frowned as every word was punctuated by a harsh breath and nodded.

"Abigail is fine, Timothy. She will be released in the morning on the provision that she rest and remain with someone for 24 hours. Something, I might add, that you should be doing." Tim smiled ruefully at Ducky's admonishment and let his eyes run over the sleeping figure laying in the bed next to him.

"How long...do I...have to...be here...for."

"Honestly, you are as stubborn as Jethro." Ducky shook his head. "You, my friend, will be here for a little bit longer yet. The pneumonia is under control and it looks as though the pleurisy is finally settling down. That isn't to say, Timothy, that you are ready for going home. You remember how long it took Anthony to heal."

Tim nodded and closed his eyes.

"Yeah." Tim felt a warm hand lay gently on his shoulder and opened his eyes. "Can I...Water?"

He started to cough and felt himself being lifted into a sitting position. The coughing fit was harsh and he started to gag as his body expelled the fluid that was continuously building in his lungs.

"That's it. Good boy. I know it's not pleasant, but that's what we like to see." Ducky was thumping Tim on the back more gently than what was needed but it seemed to be helping.

"Ducky?" Abby's sleepy voice travelled over to them.

"..bs." Tim just about managed to rasp out before slumping heavily into the M.E.

"Tim? You okay?"

"He's fine, my dear." Ducky eased Tim back and held a cup with a straw to Tim's lips. He was pleased to see Tim taking small sips before nodding back off to sleep. Ducky smiled and straightened out the blankets before turning his attention to Abby.

"Oh my!" He was startled when he came face to face with her and clutched his hand to his heart "Abigail, get back in bed this instant. You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry. He really okay, Ducky?"

Ducky could see the pure worry that shone brightly in Abby's eyes and he reached out to pull her into a hug. "He's going to be fine, my dear. It's going to be a long recovery, but all in all he is getting better everyday."

"You sure?"

"Yes, Abigail. I am sure. Now, get back in bed and get some rest. I'm going to take the basin to the nurse's station and am going to talk to Timothy's doctor." Ducky picked up the emesis basin and covered it using a tissue out of the box on the side. "If he wakes up, please don't let him do any more talking. He's taxed himself enough."

Abby watched him leave and waited until the door closed before sliding the rail down and sitting on the edge of the bed. She used her finger to trace the lines of his jaw before moving her hand down to lace her fingers through Tim's.

"Abby?" Tim whispered

"It's okay, Tim. I'm here."

"You okay?" Abby smiled at the slurred voice and knew that Tim was a hare breath from being pulled under again.

"I've got a headache, but I'm good. It's you I'm worried about."

"M'okay."

"No, you're not. But you will be." Abby let a tear trickle down her face and as she looked back up at Tim, she saw the green eyes that she adored gazing dopily up at her. "I'm sorry. God, I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you and I'm a horrible, horrible person for it."

"No...You're not. Shouldn't..Should've trusted...me. Not..horrible, though."

"I am. I know what I did was so wrong. That night, our date, it was special and you made me feel loved. I ruined that and I don't know what to do to get it back." Abby continued on with voicing her biggest fear, too worried to stay silent with them any longer.

" a good...start." Tim whispered in an attempt to encourage her to calm down.

"Is it enough?" she asked in desperation.

"It's...a start." Tim scooted over, making room for Abby to lay down with him. "C'mere."

"No, Tim. I'll hurt you." she warned.

"No. You won't...Not again." Tim's whispered words of trust took her breath away.

But, it was the not again comment that undid her and she felt the tears slip freely down her face as she lay beside Tim in the bed.

"I won't hurt you, Timmy. Not again, I promise." she vowed with her heart on her sleeve, in her eyes and in her voice.

"I know."


	37. Chapter 37

Tim lay back on the bed dozing whilst he waited for Ducky to pick him up. He had already filled out the discharge papers and now it was a case of hanging around until someone came. With a sigh he opened his eyes and looked towards the door only to see one of the nurses bustling in.

"Seeing as you're still waiting, the doctor suggested I check your vitals one last time."

"Sure, Martha. They'll be here soon anyway." Tim yawned loudly and started to cough. He soon found himself being sat up whilst the pretty young nurse rubbed and slapped his back. It wasn't long before the coughing abated and Tim glanced up at Martha sheepishly.

"Thanks."

"No worries. It's not as bad as it has been but it'll still happen for a good couple of weeks yet. Just make sure you take your meds and use the inhaler when you need it." At Tim's scowl at the mention of the dreaded, vile tasting inhaler, she rolled her eyes. "It's for your own good and you know it."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"And try not to get into any deep and meaningful conversations for a couple of days. I know the doctor said you could talk, but just try to limit it if you can because I'll be damned if you're getting special treatment next time you're in here." Tim looked at the nurse with a shocked expression but the twinkle in her eyes made him realise that she was kidding with him.

"I'll try my hardest."

At that moment the door swung open and Tony walked in with a big grin on his face. He was soon followed by Ducky who was pushing a wheelchair.

"Hey guys, you here to spring me out?"

"Sure am, Probie. So come on, let's blow this joint!" Tony picked up Tim's bag and frowned at the weight of it. "Damn, what've you got in here?"

"My stuff and all the things you guys bought in for me." Tim shrugged and turned to Ducky. "Do you want to talk to my doctor or can we just go?"

"I would like to talk to your doctor about the aftercare you are going to need. As you know, you will be spending some time with me so I can look after you. Young, Anthony here can take you to the car and get you settled whilst I do."

"Thanks." He watched Ducky walk out of the room and turned to Tony. "So, what're you doing here? I thought Gibbs had you holed up in the squad room."

"Timothy McGee." Martha warned with a smile. "Shorter sentences for the time being please."

"You worry too much."

"Yes. As much as I've enjoyed your company, I will kick your ass to kingdom come if you end up back in here." With a smile, she ripped off the blood pressure cuff she had put on him and sauntered out of the room.

"Nice nursing staff they've got going on here. Anyway, Gibbs let me go for a few hours because there was no way he was letting you get into Ducky's Morgan. It's too cramped. That and the fact that I wanted to talk to you."

"About?" Tim's curiosity piqued at the statement.

"Nothing important...well, okay, yeah it's important but nothing to worry about. I've just been here remember."

"I know." Tim was assaulted by another wave of coughing that left him gagging the way he did every time his lungs expelled the fluid and gunk that built up there.

"Damn, hold on, McGoo. I'll get a basin." Tony turned away and saw the emesis basin sitting on the nightstand. "Here. Easy, that's it."

Ducky chose that moment to arrive back and balked at the sight of Tim hacking up his lungs whilst Tony supported him and thwacked his back rhythmically in the centre to dislodge anything that had settled there. He moved over to the bed and pulled unhooked the oxygen mask from the wall.

"Timothy, listen to me. Once you have done, I want you to use the oxygen for a few minutes." He was relieved when the coughing fit ended and helped Tony lay him back against the pillows before placing the mask loosely over Tim's face. "There, keep that on and then we'll move you out."

"Move him out? Duck shouldn't he be staying here? I mean, they've got drugs and oxygen and doctors and nurses." Tony was staring at Ducky with wide incredulous eyes.

"Anthony, he'll have that with me. I am a doctor, he'll have his medication and Timothy's attending physician is arranging for an oxygen tank and mask for us to take with us. There really isn't anything else that they can do and Timothy will be more comfortable away from the hospital."

"Ducky...Can I have some water please?" Tim's voice was hoarse from the coughing fit but he was breathing a lot better. Ducky reached over and took the mask away.

"Of course. I think that did the trick. Now, We're going to sit you up and once you've had a drink, we'll take you to the car so that we can get you settled at home."

Between the three of them, they soon had Tim settle in the wheelchair and were ready to roll out. Tony grabbed the handles and started to push but was stilled by Ducky's hand on his arm.

"Anthony, I'll be there in a moment. I just want to talk to the doctor again."

"Everything okay, Ducky?" Tony frowned at the obvious worry in Ducky's tone and knew that the M.E. was having the same reservations about Tim being released.

"Yes, everything is fine. I'm just..."

"You don't think I should...be released." Tim's dejected tone rose up from the wheelchair. Ducky crouched down and looked Tim square in the eyes.

"You listen to me, young man. You have been coming on in leaps and bounds and the coughing will take a couple of weeks to abate. I just want to make sure that I have everything that you will need whilst you are in my care. I'm also fairly certain that there will be things that you fail to tell me about what you should be doing and so, I am going to the best source of knowledge I can."

Tim chuckled slightly "You know me...too well."

"Unfortunately for you, yes I do." Ducky patted his knee and stood up. "Anthony, if you will do the honours."

"Sure thing. See you in a few."

Ducky stood there and watched Tony pushing his young charge. He was sure that Tim was alright to leave, but just wanted that reassurance that he was alright. With a sigh, he turned and walked back towards the nurses' station.

Tim was relieved to see Gibbs' car looming in the distance as they exited the car park. Sure, Tony's car was nice and Ducky's Morgan was a classic, but neither of them were particularly comfortable and Tim wanted nothing more than to sink back into the seat and doze for a while...wow! The short journey out of the hospital had left him feeling exhausted.

"Gibbs' car?" Tim asked around a yawn.

"He kinda insisted. Something about it being safer and I'm not arguing with the boss."

"Don't blame you." Tim made to stand but was hit with dizziness. "Damn it!"

"You alright? Wanna go back?"

"No! I just...stood up to fast." Tony slung Tim's bag in the trunk and rounded to the front of the wheelchair.

"Come on. I remember this all too well, so my advice to you is to let people help when you need it. Right now, you're feeling weak and exhausted." Tony frowned at the glare that Tim sent his way "Don't deny it, Probie. I remember the smallest things wiping me out. Hell, even peeing seemed to take it out of me."

Tim relaxed and let Tony help him out of the wheelchair and into the car "TMI, Tony. TMI."

"You know, you've been spending too much time with Abby. TMI?" realisation of what he had just said dawned on him and he stood there gaping before pulling himself together again "Crap, sorry. I didn't mean..."

"It's alright, Tony."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I need to sit down." Tony opened the door and helped Tim get into the front seat of the car. Once he was strapped in, he turned to his exhausted friend and grinned.

"I'm gonna take the wheelchair back. I'll be back soon." With that, he closed the door and walked back to the entrance with the chair. He felt awful for what he had just said, but vowed to have a long talk with his little brother once he was feeling stronger.

"Hey guys, can we make a pit stop?" Tim had been dozing in the front seat and when he woke, he was surprised to find them half way to Ducky's house.

"I don't see a problem with that Timothy, though whatever it is you want, me or Anthony will run in and get." Ducky emphasised the last bit making Tony chuckle.

"What he said. What can I get for you Probielicious."

"I really, really fancy coffee and ice cream."

"Ah. I see. Well I'm afraid ice cream is not an option and the coffee must be black for the time being. You know as well as I do, that anything creamy can impact on the congestion in your lungs. May I make a suggestion to an alternative?"

"Alternative to ice cream? Come on, there is no alternative to ice cream!" Tony jumped in with a huff.

"Huh? Alternative and no latte? Damn, that leaves me with..." said Tim.

"Black coffee, my boy and yes, Anthony, there is an alternative to ice cream. Frozen yogurt is less creamy and better for you." The M.E. watched as Tony screwed up his face with disgust. "Timothy, you can have frozen yogurt. Will that suffice for the time being?"

"I kind of like it." Tim said with a shrug. "Can we get some? I've been wanting it for days but the nurses wouldn't let me"

"I'll stop off and will run in. The coffee can be made at Ducky's once you've settle in. You know, this was the bit I hated, right. I couldn't have cheese for weeks which meant..."

"No Pizza?" Tim couldn't help but smile at the look of faux horror on Tony's face.

"It killed me! No Pizza! It was just wrong Probie and there's no alternative to Pizza." His face straightened out and Tim just knew that there was something that he wanted to say. "But, it's not too bad, McGee. Trust me when I say, it's not worth your lungs clogging up again because the one time I ate it, I hacked for an entire night. You need to take care of yourself, man and let people in; don't shut them out."

"I know." Tim whispered.

"Yeah, I know you do, kid. But I've been there, done that and know what it's like. Give it a couple of weeks and you'll be feeling better and there's no reason not to recover now that Alex has been put back where he belongs. Which reminds me, you wanna talk, you know where I am."

Tim stared at Tony for a moment feeling overwhelmed by his sentiments. It wasn't a case of he didn't trust his friend..._his older brother..._it was a case of he had no idea Tony would want him coming to him when things got too much.

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

"Timothy, you know you have every one's support, don't you. We are your family."

"Yeah, Ducky. I know. I owe you all so much but right now, I need to concentrate on getting better because I'm fed up of feeling this way."

"I know, my dear boy. I know, but you are making remarkable progress."

Tim settled further into his seat knowing that all would be okay. If they were letting him actually have the foods that he wanted, or at least alternatives to them, then he was happy and would do anything he could to move forward with his recovery. When they stopped off to get what Tim wanted, the ailing agent pulled out his cell phone and took the opportunity to make a call whilst he had some privacy.

"Hey, Abbs." Gibbs strode into the lab and narrowed his eyes at the sight of Abby slumped over computer. "Everything alright?"

"No. It's not, Gibbs. Tony and Ducky were going to call when they got Tim home. They've been gone for an hour. AN HOUR! They should be home. Why haven't they called?" Abby picked up her phone again and flipped it open to check the display.

"Why don't you call them?"

"Because, I'm trying to take things slowly with Ti..McGee. I don't want to screw this up again Gibbs, and I don't want to pressure him." She stood up and started pacing.

"Abby! Sit!" Gibbs waited for her to obey and handed over the cafpow. "They'll call when they're home and McGee is fine."

"I know that. I'm just worried that he's not going to want me anymore." Her head hung at the soft admission.

"You've spent every night with him. I walked in and saw you curled around him last night."

"I know." Abby blushed. "We've been doing that for a few nights. The nurse's stopped trying to make me leave."

"Threaten to kill them and leave no evidence?" Gibbs smirked as he said it knowing that it was one thing that Abby would have tried at least once to get her way.

"Nope. Tim convinced them."

"How?"

"No idea. But he said he slept better with me there." She shrugged her shoulders and grinned "It's a start."

"Uh-huh. It is. But you've got a lot more to do. You've forgotten the talk we had already?"

"I know I've got more to do, Gibbs and no, I haven't forgotten it. I remember it despite being concussed at the time." Abby sighed and tried to rein in her defensiveness. "We just haven't been able to talk yet, you know, what with McGee having the restrictions on that and everything."

Gibbs cocked his head to the side and leaned in close to her so that he could whisper in her ear.

"You better try damn hard not to hurt him again, Abbs because you won't get off as lightly next time. Do. Not. Take. This. Lightly."He punctuated the last words to make her realise that this was serious. He was done letting her get off lightly with every damn mistake she made and, even though he still loved her as his daughter, she had to be reminded that it was about to stop and things were about to get a whole lot stricter for his lab rat.

"Gibbs! I wouldn't...I mean, I couldn't hurt him."

"You just did. What the hell do you think has been happening the past few weeks?"

"I was stupid and wrong. I know that but I won't make that mistake again. I love him...I really do, I love him." Abby went quiet and hung her head down low as tears sprung forward in her eyes.

"Then show it." Gibbs reached over and pulled her into a tight hug. "But don't treat him or anyone else the way you did. It won't fly next time."

"okay..."She was interrupted by her phone ringing and ran over to the counter. When she checked the caller display, her heart skipped a beat when she realised that it was Tim. With a swift flip, she had the phone open and to her ear "Tim! Hey, you home?"

Gibbs watched for a split second before smiling and making his way out of the lab. Maybe, just maybe, things were looking up and if Abby kept her side of the bargain, then maybe his youngest agent would actually stand a chance of happiness. He would, however, be keeping a close eye on the situation for a while because knowing, Tim, he'd manage to keep stuff to himself and wouldn't let Abby take the flak.

"_Hey Abbs. No... we've just sto...stopped off for...some frozen yogurt."_ Abby frowned at the breathless pauses she was hearing even though she knew that they were better than they had been.

"They should have taken you straight home. You need to be in bed resting, not in some ice cream parl..."

"_Hey, Tony and Ducky...have gone to get it." _Tim coughed making Abby wince. "_Sorry. I really...wanted some."_

"So, you're not sitting in?"

"_No. Take away."_

"Oh, okay. Timmy..um, can I come over to Ducky's after work? I miss you and we haven't spent proper time together in ages." Abby was hoping to apologise to Tim and even though she'd already done so on numerous occasions, she still felt the need to atone for what she had done.

"_Sure...can't guarantee I'll be...awake. But I'd like...that."_

"Cool! I'll be there as soon as I've finished. I'm going to let you go because I can hear you struggling and it sounds like they're back now. Put Tony on." Abby had heard the car door open and close and knew that Tim wasn't alone any longer.

"_DiNozzo."_

"Tony. How is he? Is he doing alright? Why didn't you take him straight home? Why..."

"C_hill out for a minute. Jeez Abbs, you're making my ears bleed. McGoo is fine. He wanted ice cream because he hasn't had it in a while and he's now slurping his way through some frozen yogurt. He's alright Abbs but we need to get him home now before the happy pills wear off."_

"Is he in pain? Oh my God, Tony. You have to get him home."

"_Abby! He's not in pain, but they only just gave him his meds half hour ago. He's fine for now, but he really, really needs to be in bed, So now we've fed his craving, we're gonna take him home, tuck him up and let him sleep. Alright?"_

"Okay. Tell Ducky I'll be over after work."

_"Abby, don't you think you should ask the Doctor if he thinks McGoo will be up for a visit?" _Tony asked her. _"Poor guy hasn't even been outta the pop stand for an hour and he's already wiped out. And don't forget, he's still on restrictions with long conversations."_

"Tony, I promise. I'll talk to Ducky when I get there. Please just do this for me?"

"_Will do. Catch ya later." _Tony hung up leaving Abby standing there frowning. _Was he really okay? _She glanced around her lab and looked at the idle machinery that she had been running diagnostic on.

"Okay, boys. I have places to go and people to see, so how about you hurry up and do what you have to so I can get outta here?"

She walked over to the major and punched a few buttons to get the test started, it was something that had needed doing but hopefully, they would be done quickly because as soon as they dinged and the results were in, she was packing up and going to see Tim.


	38. Chapter 38

**_2 weeks later..._**

Ducky placed the jug of iced tea on the tray with two tall glasses and the sandwiches that he had made for him and his young patient. It had been a tough two weeks and the M.E. found himself silently thanking Director Vance for approving his leave to look after Tim. He thought back to the first week and realised that the progress that the young man had made had been remarkable seeing as the first week was practically spent supporting Tim through some of the most torrid coughing fits that he had ever heard; add that to the pain that was still present from the pleurisy and it had been a miserable time for them both.

Sure, Tim had his visitors in the team and Tony had been a big help by staying a couple of nights to give Ducky a rest, but it had still been a difficult two weeks. Ducky smiled as he remembered the friendly conversation and support he had the pleasure of overhearing one night as he stood at the door and watched.

_**A week and a half ago...**_

_Ducky walked out of the bathroom wrapped up in his robe and ready for bed. He was extremely thankful to Tony, who had called to say he was coming over with his gear to give the M.E. some respite overnight. He wondered how Gibbs' senior agent knew how tired he was, but guessed that it was just one of those 'gut feelings' that the whole team seemed to have become more adept at listening to as time went on. He stopped at Tim's open bedroom door and glanced in as Tony sat reading Tim's newest literary wonder whilst the author slept on. Tim started coughing in his sleep and was soon startled awake as the cough got harsher and started to dislodge more liquid from his lungs, making Tony jump up and rush to his aid. Ducky had started moving further into the room but stopped himself when he saw how well Tony was handling the situation; and so, he moved back into the shadows to watch silently._

"_Easy, McGee. Easy." Tony rubbed soothing circles on Tim's back to help loosen the congestion. "That's it. Come on, Man, I know it hurts but its better out than in. Trust me on that, okay?"_

_Tony carried on with his ministrations and started gently thumping Tim's back to try to dislodge the gunk and fluid that was being stubborn tonight. He must have heard the tell tale gurgling and reached over to grab the basin right before Tim's body finally expelled it's tenuous hold on the congestion. Tim started to retch heavily and it damn near broke Ducky's heart to watch. He watched as Tim slumped against Tony and was surprised to see the senior agent hold on hold onto his friend as tremors wracked the weakened body that was wrapped in his own arms._

"_Alright, Tim. That's good. Real good. You want some water?" _

"_When...Have you...ever ca...called me...Tim?" Tim's raspy, breathless voice was weak and Ducky watched Tony's brow knit into a deep frown._

"_Sorry, McGoo. It just slipped out. I think you need that inhaler and..." Tony glanced at his watch "You're due for your pain meds too. Hang on." _

_He reached over to the night stand and grabbed the inhaler. Tim's hands were shaking too badly for him to handle the small device, so Tony pulled off the cap and held it to Tim's lips._

"_Open up." The short command was enough to make Tim open his mouth and wrap his lips around the mouth guard. "That's it probie. You know what to do, On three. One...two...three." _

_Tony pressed down on the button on top and sprayed the medication into Tim's mouth. Ducky stood there with baited breath and sighed with relief when Tim inhaled as much as he could. He watched as the senior agent repeated the action before replacing the lid and reaching back over to pick up the pill bottle and the water. With a swift motion, he popped the lid of and made sure his Probie took the meds so that he could hopefully get some sleep._

"_Tha...Thanks." Tim managed to huff out. Ducky was pleased to hear his breathing regulate slightly._

_"Hey, no worries, Probie. We've gotta look out for each other and you'd do the same thing." _

"_Yeah. Tony...Ducky okay?" Ducky cocked his head at Tim's question and from where he stood, he could see the deep rooted concern that plagued the young man._

"_Ducky? Sure, he's just gettin' some sleep. I told him I'd stay and so, here I am." Tony felt the tremors subside and reached round Tim to pile the pillows up so his friend wouldn't be laying flat. "Lay back, alright. You'll be more comfortable."_

_Tim lay back and sighed with relief and exhaustion._

"_Look, Ducky's just tired. That's all. You worry too damn much." Ducky watched Tony's grin spread at Tim's exasperated look. "And you can quite lookin' at me like that. You've got two choices here, trust me and rest, or spend the night worrying. I know what I would rather you be doing because I've got this book that I've been tryin' to read for ages and have finally got the chance."_

"_Sorry...Tony?" _

"_Yeah."_

"_Abb...Abbs. How's she...doing?" Ducky frowned at the question because Abby had been by every night for a couple of hours, since Tim left hospital. _

"_You know how's she's doing. She only left a few hours ago."_

_"Diffe...rent. Not real...because I'm ...sick."_

"_Huh. Okay, yeah she is treating you with kid gloves, but she feels guilty and between you and me, I think the boss man has had a word in her ear."_

"_Bout?" _

"_You and her. She already feels guilty about what happened and wants to make it right but you've gotta understand, that it's hard for us because of what happened. I think she's just being cautious because she doesn't want to hurt you."_

_Ducky could feel the raw honesty that Tony injected into his words and knew that it was good for Tim to hear them. _

"_Kay..." _

"_That's it for now, McGee. You need to sleep so, come on. Get some shut eye." Tony pulled the covers over Tim's shoulders and patted the one nearest to him. "We'll talk more when you're feelin' better."_

_Ducky watched Tim's eyes drift shut and with a sigh and a lighter heart at leaving him in Tony's care, he drifted off to his own bedroom to catch up on some much needed sleep._

_**Present day...**_

Since then, Tim had come along in leaps and bounds and had actually started to move around beyond the bathroom and bedroom. Ducky had convinced him to sit outside on the porch with him because the day was pleasantly warm and the M.E. knew that it would do him good. With a smile, he picked up the tray and carried it outside to the table in between the two loungers.

"Timothy, are you warm enough?" Ducky wasn't aware that Tim had drifted off and felt awful when the young man's bleary eyes opened to look at him.

"I'm good, Thanks."

Ducky had already draped a blanket over Tim's legs and had made sure the pillows were placed just right so that he'd be comfortable.

"I apologise. I wasn't aware that you had dropped off."

"It's okay. I'm just feeling a bit tired I guess."

This was something that the M.E. understood completely given how sick Tim had been...Still was. It would take time for him to be 100%, but for now, he was just happy with his young patient being able to speak without getting as breathless and cough without it causing him as much pain.

"That's to be expected. Here." He handed Tim a tall glass of ice tea "I've made some lunch if you're hungry. I would prefer you to at least try to eat something because you're appetite has been fairly touchy recently and you need to regain your strength."

"I could eat." Tim accepted the sandwich and settled back. It was a good ten minutes later, that both men had finished their lunch and were making a good dent in their drinks.

"Ducky, can I ask you something?" the young man asked cautiously.

"Of course, dear boy." Ducky asked in surprise.

"Am I doing the right thing?" Tim's quiet question shocked the M.E.

"What do you mean?"

"Me and Abby."

"Why on earth would you ask that?" Ducky glanced at Tim and saw that far away look which meant his patient was trying to analyze everything. "Has Abigail done something to make you doubt your relationship again?"

"No, nothing like that. It's just...I think I've had too much time to think."

"And you are unsure as to where this is leading."Ducky said knowingly.

"Something like that. Abby's has been trying really hard; too hard, and while it's nice, I just want everything to be normal again." Tim's earnest, heartfelt answer was one that Ducky wasn't expecting.

"Well, I have to admit that she has been extra vigilant recently and the only thing I can suggest is taking it one day at a time. You have to realise, that seeing you so ill shook her. The fact that she knows her part in that cuts her deeper than we will most likely ever know or understand."

"So, you think we are doing the right thing?" Tim asked with a slight frown.

"No, what I am saying, Timothy, is that you need to follow your heart and stop thinking so much about it. Let it happen and see where it takes you, because you may be surprised."

Tim nodded and grinned. "I will admit, the extra TLC is nice."

"I'm sure it is, Timothy. I'm sure it is."

Both men settled back to enjoy the warm sunshine and sat in comparable silence as the world slowly went by before them. It wasn't long before Ducky noticed that Tim had fallen asleep again and reached over to take the glass out of his hand.

"Rest and get better soon, my dear boy, because you have a whole new world to explore when you are well."

* * *

Abby was on her way up to the squad room but paused briefly at the voices that she heard in the stairwell. She remembered cursing the maintenance crew for making her walk up and down these damn stairs all day long whilst they figured out the fault with the elevator, but right now, she was actually pleased as the familiar voices washed over her.

"No, Tony. I do not think it is such a good idea."

"Come on, Zee. It's perfect! We just need to get the boss man on our side."

"Why? Why on earth do you want to interview this man? It is not conducive to the investigation. There really is no need for it."

"Is that your professional opinion?" Tony asked huskily. The change in tone sparked Abby's curiosity to the point where she was compelled to move closer.

"Yes."

Abby finally caught sight of them and noticed how close the two of them were standing.

_Huh, interesting_. Abby thought to herself as she stood there watching the scene unfold.

"Well maybe, just maybe my little Ninja Assassin, I am right and my gut will be right." Tony huskily suggested.

"Or _maybe_, you will be wrong and you will find yourself on the receiving finish of Gibbs' hand." Ziva gave Tony a sultry smile "My little hairy butt."

Tony moved closer and backed Ziva into the wall so that he could put his hands on it on either side of her head. Once he had her trapped he leaned in and lowered his voice even more.

"That's receiving end, Zee and you think I'm scared of the boss?"

"No. I think you are scared of making a mistake. You are all talk."

Abby watched as Tony swooped down and whispered something in Ziva's ear; she felt a pang of regret at missing what was being said but just _knew_ that this wasn't as innocent as it looked..._Huh, Tony and Ziva? NO! She would have heard, but then again their flirting had gotten more prominent recently so maybe their heading in that direction. _With wide eyes, she watched Ziva's hands absently move to Tony's waist and hold there while Tony whispered to her. Whatever had been said obviously had the newest official member of the team looking..._Debauched! Oh my God! She looks debauched!_

Enough was enough and with a plan already forming in her mind she started to move up the stairs.

"Hey guys. What'cha doing?" she said breezily and grinned as Tony jumped back with a manic look on his face.

"Er..Abbs. Nothing. We're doing no..."

"We were discussing the case, Abby. What brings you up here?" Ziva jumped in knowing that the man standing next to her was looking and acting guilty for no good reason. She elbowed him in the ribs to get his attention "Tony, seems to think interviewing the victim's son is a good idea. I however, disagree."

"Uh-huh. Anyway, I wanted to bring these results up to Gibbs but the elevator's out so I've been waiting for all the results to come in. I didn't want to keep running up and down the stairs." She waved the manila file in her hand to emphasise her point.

"You could'a emailed them, Abbs." Tony cocked his head and raised his eyebrows slightly at the suggestion.

"I could have." Abby shrugged. "But, how often does he check his emails?"

"You gotta point there. I better get back to work before the boss finds us and..." he swirled his hand around a couple of times before turning towards the door. The last thing they heard was "I gotta go." as he disappeared through.

"Wow! That was subtle. You and him?" Abby asked Ziva with a grin.

"I do not understand what you are getting at, Abby." With that, Ziva turned and followed Tony through the door to the squad room, leaving the forensic scientist standing there with her plan predominant in her mind. With another grin, she pulled out her phone and dialed.

* * *

Tim woke up in the lounger to his phone ringing incessantly. With a sigh, he glanced at the caller ID before pressing the button to answer it.

"Hey, Abby." He cleared his throat as the sleep and cough left him with a dry throat that tickled when he spoke.

"Timothy." Ducky whispered from his side and handed over a glass of ice water. The M.E. grinned at the thankful look in Tim's eyes and he patted his young patient's arm before heading back into the house.

"_Timmy. You alright?"_

"Yeah. I'm good. Ducky and I had lunch on his porch and guess I fell asleep."

"_Fell asleep? Tim you should be indoors wrapped up on a blanket to keep warm. Not sitting outside in the cold air." _Abby chastised.

"It's not cold and I've got a blanket. I'm alright, really, so stop worrying." Tim tried to inject some levity into is tone but choked on the last word and coughed. He guessed that the pain meds were wearing off when his chest twinged and despite the fact that it wasn't as bad as it had been; in fact it was considerably better; it still felt uncomfortable enough to make him wince.

"_Is Ducky there? Please tell me he's there because that, does not sound good."_

"It's better than what it was. Don't worry, I'm due for my meds soon, so I'll take them and then go crash on the couch with a movie."

"_You should rest in bed."_

"C'mon, Abby. I've been in bed forever and it's time I got up and moved about. I'm okay and will probably fall asleep. Besides, it feels better sitting up." Tim admitted earnestly. "You know I wouldn't be out here if Ducky didn't appove, anyway."

"Yeah, you're right. _You sure you're okay?"_

"I'm sure. Anyway, what can I do for you, swee...Abby." For some reason, Tim still found himself catching himself every time he started to use an endearment with Abby and he felt his heart skip a beat at her sigh. "Sorry, sweetie."

"_That's okay. I know it's hard right now, but I'm trying, Tim. I really am."_

"I know. We both are. So, you just calling to chat?"

"_Actually, I have something that I want to talk to you about." _Abby outlined everything that she had seen in the stair well and Tim found himself becoming increasingly interested at what he was hearing. At the end of it, he sighed when Abby told him what she wanted to do.

"You think it's a good idea? I mean, we won't be able to do anything for at least a couple of weeks, but do you think we should get involved?"

"W_hat harm can it do? And it's only a case of giving them a nudge."_

"Do you think they really need it?" Tim broke off and coughed before spitting into a tissue. "Sorry. Um, yeah I guess it is. I guess it can't do any harm. How're you gonna get them to agree?"

"_Well, it's like this..."_


	39. Epilogue

_2 weeks later..._

"Timothy, you have your inhaler and pain medication?" Ducky sat at the kitchen table nursing a cup of earl grey tea.

"Sure do, Ducky. I'll be fine. I've got everything I need and will be back before curfew." Tim grinned broadly at the genteel M.E. and reached over to pour him another cup of tea before they left. "I'll be fine. We're just going out for a couple of hours for dinner and then I'll be back because I'm not sure how much more I could take without falling asleep."

"Ahh, the exhaustion. I remember young Anthony going through this stage. Although you feel better, young man, I feel it's my duty as both your physician and your friend to feel concerned. Your body is still healing and your lungs still have some congestion there. Now, that being said I want you enjoy your evening, but if things become too much then you must come home right away."

"Don't worry, Ducky. I won't let him push himself. It's just dinner." Abby bounded in looking stunning in a black, floor length maxi dress. "I'll keep my eye on him."

Tim giggled at the wink she sent his way and shook his head. "Wow, all of a sudden I feel like a fifteen year old going out on his first date."

"As well you should. It's only because we care, Timothy. Why else would we make such a fuss?" Tim frowned at Ducky serious tone and moved to stand next to the man so he could put his hand on the M.E's shoulder.

"I know, Duck and I appreciate everything that you have done. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you." Tim sat down and looked Ducky square in the eyes. "Thank you. You've been a big support and I really am grateful."

"I know you are, dear boy. Now, Abigail is standing there waiting so what say you two go out and enjoy your meal. Just..."

"Let you know if something's wrong. Come home if tired and don't overdo it." Tim and Abby said in perfect unison. This made Ducky chuckle to himself and even managed to draw a smile out of Gibbs who had been leaning silently against the counter nursing his mug of coffee.

"McGee."

"Yeah, Boss?"

"You just remember what I told you last night." Gibbs calmly instructed his youngest agent whom he'd come to worry and care about a lot more in the last three months than he'd ever done before.

Tim smiled as he thought back to his boss' words of advice:

_"McGee, just don't make the mistake of giving her an inch, anymore. Abby doesn't stop at that first mile. When you give her an inch, she takes the whole damn state__!"_

"I will Boss, and thank you." Tim replied with a smile of gratitude towards the man who'd he'd become closer to over the last three months than he'd ever thought possible.

Gibbs nodded his acceptance of Tim's thanks before turning his attention to Abby.

"Abbs, you behave yourself and remember your date is still recovering." He instructed her and raised his eyebrows at her.

Abby couldn't help but smile back at him. "I promise to behave, Gibbs. I'll take good care of him."

"We're holdin' you to that! Now, go on, both of ya!" Gibbs directed and as they said their goodbyes and turned to refill his cup before moving into the living room with Ducky so that they could watch the news.

"Ok, Abby. What's the plan?" Tim asked as Abby slipped her arm though his. "I mean, you do have a plan...right?"

"Of course. I plan to have a nice dinner with my boyfriend and our friends and then I plan to come back home with you and snuggle up with a movie. How does that sound?"

Tim cocked his head slightly. "Uh-huh, and there's nothing else on the agenda?"

"You know me."

"You know, that's what worries me." Tim laughed loudly when Abby playfully punched his arm. "Hey! Okay, I know that this is so we can play matchmaker and what you saw on the stairs was, shall we say interesting. But don't force the issue. We've gotta let them work it out and from what you saw, they're doing a pretty good job without our help."

"Don't worry. Seriously, I'm not up to anything bad." With a twinkle in her eye, she reached down to open Tim's car door but was stopped when he got in there first. She climbed in and offered a warm smile of thanks before settling in and waiting for Tim to get in the car. She frowned when Tim coughed and used the inhaler.

"You alright? We can always..."

"I'm fine, Abby. Trust me, this is a whole lot better than it was and Ducky's finally letting me out so I'm not gonna let a little cough spoil the night." Tim said firmly.

"I know but..."

"Come on. It's just dinner and you know as well as I do that I'm gonna be needing this for a few weeks yet. Stop worrying, okay?"

"Okay. If you're sure." Abby looked him over and noticed that despite the past few weeks taking its' toll, Tim had started to gain back some of the weight he'd lost and the sickly pallor that had haunted him had lifted.

"I'm sure."

"Then let's go!" Abby said cheerfully as they set off.

As they were driving along listening to the radio, Tim was suddenly struck by something about Abby's matchmaking; something that could bring the boss down on them all like a ton of bricks.

"Um, Abby. I was just thinking. I really do think this is a good idea and I know you said you have no ulterior motive. But let's face it, what we are doing tonight is playing matchmaker and we need to be careful."

"Of what?" Abby said cheerfully but cocked her head with interest at what he was saying.

"Rule 12."

"But, we have permission to break Rule 12."

"I know and it's only because we don't work together out in the field. But we're helping Tony and Ziva break it and doing what we are doing will be helping them break it." Tim said honestly as he laid his cards on the table.

"Are you saying, were aiding and abetting our friends, Agent McGee?" Abby chuckled "I really don't think they need that much of a shove in the right direction; just something to break up that sexual tension between them."

"ABBY! Ugh! Okay, enough with that kind of talk. Jeez, I do **not** want to be hearing about my team's sexual tension!"

Abby giggled with mirth at Tim's exclamation and placed her hand on his knee. "Don't worry, Timmy. Gibbs can't yell at us for this. As far as he's concerned, Tony and Ziva are just there to run interference for us. You know, make sure we're okay and all that."

"I still can't believe they bought that. I mean, as if we need someone to babysit us tonight. We're adults."

"I know, and we don't. But I had to say something and that was the first thing that came to mind. And if they bought it, it means they still think we need it. I guess they're still worried that I'm gonna hurt you again. But, relax, we've got tomorrow night just for us..._the real_ first date revisited. Don't worry, I've got it all worked out." Abby grinned broadly and saw the last of the tension seep out of Tim.

"I hope so, Abby. I really do hope so." Tim replied with a smile and pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant.

"And Timmy, thank you for giving me this second chance."

"You're welcome, Abby. I really hope this is just the first of many wonderful dates for us."

"Me too, Tim. Me too."

"So, Tony. Tell me again why we are both here?" Ziva glanced at Tony and cocked her head with confusion.

"To eat?"

"I understand that, but I think, Abby has alternative reasons; yes?"

"How do you?...You know what, never mind. Yeah, she does but Probie can't know about them."

"I have my ways. So spill the peas." Tony's eyebrows shot up into his hairline at the mistake and he couldn't help but shake his head.

"Beans. It's spill the beans." He said but stepped back at Ziva's scowl. "Alright, Abby collared me in her lab one day..."

_Flashback..._

"_Hey, Abbs. I've got some stuff I need you to run for me." Tony walked up to the table and placed the evidence down._

"_Thanks. I've just got something to run for Gibbs, but I'll do it as soon as I'm done with that."_

"_Sure, no problem. I better be getting back but I'll be down later." Tony turned and started to walk away but stopped when he heard the door lock. "Come on, Abbs. The boss'll kill me if I'm not back soon."_

"_I just need to ask you a question."_

_Tony rubbed his eyes with frustration and bit his tongue to stop the sharp retort escaping his mouth. He settled for "Shoot" and turned to look at her._

"_Well, you know how me and Tim have decided to give it another go."_

"_Everyone knows that. You just remember we're watchin' you."_

"_I'm not gonna hurt him. I promise. We've decided to go out this Saturday and I was wondering whether you and Ziva would come to run interference for us. I mean after everything that happened we just need a buffer." Abby leaned back against the table and gazed at Tony._

"_Interference? Why, Probie said you two have been doing alright recently." Tony countered with interest._

"_Oh, we have but I just want someone there because you know, it all started with the first date and we'll feel better knowing you were there. Just this first time, Tony. Please?"_

"_I'll ask Zee. Why do you need both of us?" _

"_Me and Tim are together. You really want to play lemon?" Abby grinned at Tony and knew she had him right where she wanted him._

"_Not really, no. I can't think of anything worse. Alright, I'll get her to come. Don't know how, but I'll try." He was nearly rocked off his feet by Abby throwing her arms around his neck._

"_Thank you. You won't regret this."_

"_No worries. I really gotta get back." Tony turned to leave and was relieved when the doors opened. With a heavy feeling in his gut, he made his way up to the squad room to try and convince Ziva that this was a good idea._

_*End Flashback*  
_

"So, she wants us to, quote 'run interference'?"

"That's about the jist of it." Tony nodded his agreement and grinned "Hey, it won't be that bad. If all else fails, we've had a nice team night out. Besides, it'll be good for us to see just how much she's changed where Probie's concerned. After this, they should be fine on their own."

"Always the optimist. Here they are now." Ziva nodded towards the couple as they walked towards them hand in hand. Ziva couldn't help but smile at how _easy_ it was for them to fall into being a couple after the horrible few weeks they'd had.

"Hey guys. You both look nice." Abby greeted with a grin and moved to hug them both. She was relieved when they both reciprocated freely; especially seeing as it had been strained between them recently.

"Why thank you, Miss Sciuto. You scrub up well yourself." Tony grinned and turned to Tim. "And what's this? Probie, you look…Hmm, you look almost human."

"Gee thanks, Tony." Tim answered with a grin as he took his teammate's jesting in stride.

"Hey!" Tony squirmed away from the elbow that connected with his ribs. "What was that for?"

"You know why. McGee, you look very nice. As do you, Abby."

"Thanks, Ziva. So, what do you think of the restaurant?" Tim glanced up at the sign in hope that the Filomena Ristorante would be a good choice on his part. After all, Tony had Italian blood flowing through his veins.

"I've been here before. It's a good choice, Probie. Good food, good wine and good company. We can't go wrong."

"Can we go in, I'm starving." Abby chimed in. She hadn't eaten since breakfast and was keen to get the festivities started. "Aww look. It's just so sweet. I love it!"

"Yeah, it is, Abby. You guys ready?" Tim replied.

At the nods that he received in return, they four of them walked into the restaurant to start what promised to be a very special night.

The meal went swimmingly and any tension that remained as a result of the 'Alex saga' seemed to melt away leaving nothing but friendly conversation over a nice meal. It was obvious that Tim was struggling though and by the time the coffees arrived, he was feeling light headed as exhaustion took hold.

"You alright there, Probie. You're looking a little green." Tony said with concern.

"Yeah. I'm good, Tony, just about ready to call it a night, though. Beginning to feel like I've been running a marathon." Tim rubbed his hand over his eyes and yawned behind the hand he placed in front of his mouth to hide behind. The yawn quickly turned into a deep hacking. Once he was finished, he pulled out the inhaler and used it to help loosed the tight feeling in his chest.

"That's not much fun. I remember having to carry one of those around with me for a couple of weeks. Maybe we should finish these and call it a night. You still have to drive home. You all right to drive, Probie?"

"Yeah, Tony, I'll be fine to drive. There's no point in you two calling it a night and those tickets need to be put to good use. You three go on ahead. I don't want to ruin it for you all." Tim said with a sigh hoping that Tony and Ziva would agree.

"You sure? I mean, I was kinda looking forward to the show." Tony replied, thankful that Tim told them to go ahead. They had all decided on going to the cirque du Soleil that was in town and Tony had been looking forward to it.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Just make sure Abby gets home okay."

"No way! I'm coming with you because I want to make sure you're tucked up safe and sound and tonight hasn't caused any problems. You guys'll be okay won't you?" Tim sighed heavily and shook his head. It was all part of the ruse to get these two alone for the night and truth be told, they had only bought two tickets...One for Tony and one for Ziva.

"We will be fine. I have never been to the circus. Is it fun?" Ziva chimed in.

"You'll enjoy it. It's not the conventional kind of circus, more of a show. But I went a few years back and loved it." Said Tim. "You know what guys, I'm pretty much done in so I'm...we're going to get going. You sure about this Abby?"

"Positive. It's in town for a couple more weeks so we can always get more tickets. For now, you need to get to bed and rest."

Tim picked up the wallet that had been placed on the table and glanced at the bill. With a smile, he pulled out his wallet and paid for everyone.

"Probie, no. Let me give you som..."

"Don't worry about it. It's on me. Here." Tim handed over the front row tickets and stood up. "Thanks for a great night out guys. I've really enjoyed it."

"It is us that should be thanking you. Go home and get some rest." Ziva stood up and moved to hug Tim. "It has been wonderful."

"Yes it has. Thanks Zee. Don't forget to tell us how the show goes."

"I will." She replied with a twinkle in her eye.

"See you later, Probie. Take care of yourself because you know what happened when I did too much."

"Yeah, I remember. You knocked yourself back for ages. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Tony." Tim clapped his friend on the shoulder and waited for Abby to say her goodbyes. Once she was done, the two of them walked back to the car and Abby grinned when she felt Tim's arm scoot around her shoulders.

"That went well."

"It did. You think they'll enjoy the show?" Tim asked with a tired smile.

"Who wouldn't? You've still got our tickets for tomorrow haven't you?"

"Sure have." Tim broke off and rubbed at his tired eyes.

"Come on; let's get you home to bed."

"Is that a proposition, Miss Sciuto?" Tim chuckled "Because if it is, I don't think Ducky'll approve."

Abby squeezed Tim's waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "You wouldn't be up for anything anyway. Hmmm, think Ducky'll mind me staying over just to cuddle. I could borrow one of your t-shirts."

"I'm sure he won't mind, Abby." Tim replied as he opened the door of his car for her. As she stepped in, he crouched down and took her hand in his. "I think, he'll just be glad that everything's headed back on track."

He stood up and closed the door behind him. As he moved to the driver's seat, he watched as his friends left the restaurant hand in hand. Somehow, after the past few weeks, everything felt right with the world and with that thought, he got behind the wheel of his car and drove home feeling happier than he ever had.

His future with Abby was once again looking very bright, indeed.


End file.
